IT firms slammed for bad attitude to data security

Failure to view security as a strategic issue could be hampering adoption of new technologies, according to KPMG

Most IT companies are mistakenly treating data security as a "hygiene exercise", according to KPMG.

The market watcher's latest Business Leaders Survey found that 59 per cent of tech firms in Europe and the Middle East see data privacy and security as a back-office requirement, rather than a strategic issue.

Just seven per cent of the 3,000 senior execs quizzed picked out "addressing risk throughout the organisation" as a priority for their business.

The findings present a disconnect with recent research from KPMG which revealed that widespread concerns over security and privacy among consumers were a barrier to the adoption of new technology.

Tudor Aw, KPMG's European head of technology, said: "It is concerning that so many businesses still treat data security as nothing more than a hygiene exercise when it should be elevated to be a more strategic concern.

"Concerns over data security are a prime barrier, for example, to full-blown acceptance of cloud technology because end users simply harbour too many nagging doubts over data security."

Aw added: "The sooner technology companies stop treating this as a back-office issue, the better. This is a strategic, front-end, customer-facing issue which has massive ramifications for sales, marketing and business development, and should be treated accordingly."