SAN FRANCISCO ? More organizations have raised security to the senior management level and, as a result, are reducing the risk of inoperability while increasing efficiency and market competitiveness, the Business Software Alliance said in a joint survey done with the Information Systems Security Association.

Key findings include:

76 percent of companies are recognizing that raising security as a priority makes companies more efficient, less likely to be down and gives them a competitive advantage in their market.

While 59 percent of security professionals continue to believe there will be a major cyber-attack in the next 12 months (down from 65 percent in Oct 2003), 73 percent say they feel better prepared than they were just 12 months ago to evade the attack.

In the last 12 months, more companies have raised security to the senior management level, 44 percent vs. 39 percent in 2003 – or a 12 percent relative increase.

“This survey demonstrates that awareness and action are replacing fear,” said Robert Holleyman, BSA?s President and CEO. “With an increase in global online vulnerabilities, it is imperative for companies to continue to elevate the issue to the highest levels within their organizations. When they do, nine out of ten report the financial resources to have followed, enabling investments in new, more secure technologies, more secure networks, better processes and better trained personnel.?

Today’s communication capabilities have created dramatic new opportunities, for both good and evil, said ISSA President David Cullinane.

?Cyber security has been recognized as a top priority for both the public and private sector,?? he said. ?We must continue to work with governments and businesses on an international level to improve our security. The BSA/ISSA survey is a true benchmark of how we are doing in meeting our joint obligation to protect our citizens effectively.?

While the majority of respondents felt confident about evading a major cyber-attack, the findings also highlighted training, awareness programs and up-to-date patches as critical to ensuring progress moving forward.

?From a government perspective, we find encouraging news from this study that industry is making privacy and security a part of their corporate culture by recognizing the importance of having Chief Privacy Officers and Chief Information Security Officers,?? said Daniel Caprio, Chief Privacy Officer and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, U.S. Department of Commerce. ?The public/private partnership to protect cyberspace is beginning to yield fruit in terms of progress but much more remains to be done.?

Holleyman said he is encouraged with the progress made to date, but recognize the need to promote greater awareness, as well as innovation, in helping us get where we need to be.

?We must also pursue stronger international cooperation in cracking down on cyber criminals,?? he said. ?Cyber crime is a global issue, and as such, governments must work together to address this borderless issue. Just last week, BSA brought together for the first time the chief technology officers from the tech industry who asked the Administration to create a new commission on organized cyber crime. Our message to policymakers was to meet today?s challenges head on with increased funding for R&D, stepped up enforcement of existing cyber crime laws and improved federal IT systems.?

The survey was done by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, which conducted 850 interviews of members of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA). Research was conducted online and took place between December 8, 2004 and January 24, 2005. Margin of error for the entire sample is plus or minus 3.4 percent, and larger for subgroups.

Interested in Security news? Click on Mitechnews.Com Security