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Sixth Annual IT Security Survey: 45% of Enterprises Employ Outside Security Audits at Least Once a Year, a Ten Percentage Point Increase Over Previous Year

Three quarters of those enterprises that employ an outside security audit deem them a "worthwhile investment"

Boca Raton, FL and Albuquerque, NM – October 12, 2010 – According to the Sixth Annual Enterprise IT Security Survey of 350 IT managers and network administrators commissioned by VanDyke Software® and executed by Amplitude Research® in mid September, close to half (45%) in 2010 reported that their organization has a formal security audit by an outside organization at least once a year.  In 2009, 35% had reported conducting such an audit at least once a year.

According to the survey results, 63% of the respondents indicated that one motivation for commissioning a security audit by an outside company is to be able to represent to other parties that the company has been audited.  At the same time, more than half (56%) of the survey respondents expressed that the audits resulted in identification of significant security problems.  More than four-in-ten (43%) felt their organization should conduct security audits by an outside organization more frequently.

Meanwhile, separately from employing outside security audits, nearly two-thirds (65%) of IT managers and network administrators in 2010 reported that their organization conducts at least one internal security audit a year.  That's about the same percentage as was reported in 2009 (67%).

Among those reporting internal security audits, close to half (47%) felt these audits resulted in identification of significant security problems.  However, some felt their internal audits "don't go far enough" (30%) and/or their organization should undergo internal security audits more frequently (40%).

"Two years of data now point to the same conclusion that both types of audits – those conducted internally and those conducted by an outside organization – often identify security problems," said Steve Birnkrant, CEO of Amplitude Research.

Approximately three quarters (73%) of those enterprises that employ an outside security audit deem them a "worthwhile investment".

The 2010 study was administered by Amplitude Research over the period September 13th to September 16th, 2010 among its nationwide technology panel.  In total, 350 surveys were completed by respondents who confirmed working as an IT executive, IT manager, or network administrator for their company / organization. 

For a copy of an executive summary of this year’s survey findings, contact Michael Krems of Krems Public Relations at krems@kremspr.com.

About Amplitude Research, Inc.

Amplitude Research® is a privately owned online survey company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.  Amplitude specializes in online market research, combining its proprietary market research software, top quality survey panels (www.panelspeak.com) and experienced professional services to deliver actionable survey results. The name "Amplitude" Research and its tagline "loud and clear" signify Amplitude's high-quality survey design, survey administration, data analysis and reporting services tailored to each client's needs.  For more information about Amplitude Research and its technology 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 software for secure remote access, secure file transfer, terminal emulation, and remote administration.  VanDyke 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.