Press Releases

Press Release

Survey: 72% of Enterprises That Hire Outside Experts to Conduct a Security Audit Indicate it Was a "Worthwhile Investment"

• 54% felt that outside security audits resulted in identification of significant security problems.
• Among those reporting internal security audits, 46% felt these audits resulted in identification of significant security problems; however, some felt their internal audits "don't go far enough" (33%) and/or their organization should undergo security audits more frequently (43%).

Albuquerque, NM and Boca Raton, FL – September 29, 2009 – How often to audit or not to audit – and whether these audits should be conducted using internal staff or outside experts – were topics addressed in a series of questions posed to 350 IT Executives/Network Administrators this month in a survey commissioned by VanDyke Software and executed by independent firm Amplitude Research. The survey respondents, representing a cross-section of all sizes of companies, reported that in 2009, 76% of enterprises have employed outside experts to audit network security procedures, but only 35% conduct outside audits annually. Another 27% undergo such an audit every two years, and 14% undergo such an audit every three years or less often.

Slightly less than one-fourth (24%) reported that their organization has never had a formal security audit by an outside organization.  When asked why they have never had one, nearly half (47%) felt they did not need one, and one-fourth (24%) mentioned cost.

Among those reporting outside security audits, nearly three-fourths (72%) indicated that they were a worthwhile investment.  Most others were neutral (23%), while a small proportion disagreed (5%).

What motivates an organization to engage outside experts to conduct a security audit? One major reason was the ability to show other parties that the company has been audited (65%).

Separate from outside audits, two-thirds (67%) of the survey respondents reported undergoing an internal security audit at least once a year. Another 17% undergo such an internal audit every two years.

Among those reporting internal security audits, close to half (46%) felt these audits resulted in identification of significant security problems. However, some felt their internal audits "don't go far enough" (33%) and/or their organization should undergo security audits more frequently (43%).

Commented Steve Birnkrant, Amplitude Research CEO, "These results can provide encouragement to companies to conduct outside security audits or increase the frequency of audits if already being conducted."

The 2009 security study was commissioned by VanDyke Software and conducted online by Amplitude Research during the second week of September 2009 among Amplitude's nationwide technology panel and had 350 total survey respondents with a maximum sampling margin of error of 5.2%. To obtain an executive summary of the 2009 survey results, contact Michael Krems of Krems Public Relations at krems@kremspr.com.

About Amplitude Research, Inc.

Amplitude Research® is a privately owned mail and online survey company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, with blue chip clients located throughout the United States, Canada and South America.  Amplitude combines its proprietary research software, top quality market research panels, and experienced professional services to deliver actionable survey results.  Amplitude's Panelspeak® Survey Panels (www.panelspeak.com) can reach more than 60,000 IT professionals in addition to consumers and business professionals.  For more information about Amplitude Research and its market research surveys, visit the company's website at www.amplituderesearch.com.

About VanDyke Software, Inc.

Busy IT professionals depend on VanDyke Software to deliver rock-solid, easy-to-configure security software for secure remote access, secure file transfer, terminal emulation, and remote administration. VanDyke Software offers a fully supported 30-day evaluation of its products prior to purchase, providing both evaluators and customers with a higher level of service. The company's product offerings include the SecureCRT® Secure Shell terminal emulator, the SecureFX® secure file transfer client, the VanDyke ClientPack, and the VShell® Secure Shell server. For more information about VanDyke Software, visit the company's website at www.vandyke.com.