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IT Security Survey: Over 30% of Large Enterprises Acknowledge Intrusions to Office Network in Past Two Years

• Over 50% of medium and large size enterprises use automated scripts to perform security monitoring and propagate virus definitions on office servers.
• Top five sources for IT security best practices: security-related websites (69.17%), trade magazines (67.50%), training courses from professional organizations (53.06%), conferences (50%), newsletters (49.17%), and online discussion forums (49.17%).

BOCA RATON, FL and ALBUQUERQUE, NM, Oct. 28, 2005 /PRNewswire/ — As Halloween approaches, a VanDyke Software-commissioned survey of 360 enterprise IT security professionals reflects a scary dynamic: one in four enterprises acknowledged they have been victims of intrusions to their office networks and office servers in the last two years, with more than 40% of companies with 20,000 or more employees indicating a successful intrusion.

Commented Steve Birnkrant, CEO of Amplitude Research: “Despite the high percentage of successful intrusions, the responses also indicate a strong resolve by IT security decision makers to tackle challenges to the security of their enterprise computers, servers and networks. Enterprises—small, medium, and large—are responding to vulnerabilities by locking down office machines, networks, and servers through the use of firewalls, scanners, detection systems, or other security measures. Overall, more than 50% of the respondents indicate security monitoring of their office servers using scripts running across all machines on an automated, scheduled basis.”

The following provides a snapshot of what tactics various-sized enterprises are employing to meet the challenge of intrusions to office computers and/or office networks:

How enterprises are meeting the challenge of security intrusions:

92.26% installed a network firewall
53.56% use a network analyzer (e.g., Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer)
53.25% turn off nonsecure protocols like Telnet or FTP
51.70% installed an intrusion detection system
50.77% installed a user-based firewall
42.11% implemented WiFi security (WEP, WAP, proprietary like 3Com)
39.63% set up a DMZ
37.77% use a port scanner to locate out-of-policy services on the network
3.72% stated “other”

Commented Jeff P. Van Dyke, president of VanDyke Software, which provides a number of solutions to enterprises for data protection and commissioned the Amplitude Research survey: “In the final quarter of 2005, it is somewhat surprising that only slightly more than half of enterprises indicated they have turned off nonsecure protocols like Telnet or FTP. It is an important step to decreasing intrusion vulnerability and yet the number of enterprises that actually do so is far from being an 'overwhelming majority'.”

Where Enterprises Are Finding Information About Security Best Practices:

69.17% Security-related websites
67.50% Trade magazines (eWEEK, Network Computing, Secure Enterprise)
53.06% Training courses from professional organizations (e.g., SANS)
50.00% Conferences (e.g., NetSec, USENIX, SANS)
49.17% Newsletters
49.17% Online discussion forums
48.61% Books (e.g., O’Reilly, Wiley, Addison-Wesley, Microsoft Press)
36.94% Local training courses (e.g., college or university, user groups)
33.06% USENET groups
33.06% Security-related blogs
5.00% Other
0.56% None of the above

More Findings from the Survey Commissioned by VanDyke Software Are Available

An executive summary of the findings of the Amplitude Research survey commissioned by VanDyke Software reveal other statistics on matters such as how enterprises lock down individual computers, office networks, and office servers; how frequently these methods are used; and the methods of deploying Windows updates and patches. To obtain an executive summary of the survey results along with a full report, contact Krems Public Relations at krems@kremspr.com. KremsPR can also be contacted by media looking for further comments/analysis on the survey from Marc Orchant, PR & Marketing Manager at VanDyke Software. The survey of network administrators and network managers was conducted over an eight-day period from October 5th to October 12th, 2005 and had overall 360 respondents with a margin of error of 5.15% at a 95% confidence level. 35.83% of the survey respondents have worked in IT for five to ten years, and 44.16% have worked in the industry for more than ten years. All different size employers were represented in the study with 22.22% of the respondents working for organizations with less than 100 employees, 29.72% working for organizations with 100 to 1,000 employees, 22.5% working for organizations with 1,000 to 5,000 employees, 14.9% working for organizations with more than 5,000 to 20,000 employees, and 10.55% working for organizations with more than 20,000 employees.

ABOUT AMPLITUDE RESEARCH, INC.
Based in Boca Raton, Fla., Amplitude Research® (www.amplituderesearch.com) is a full-service survey research organization with blue chip clients located throughout the United States and Canada. Amplitude uses proprietary survey technologies, experienced professional services, and advanced statistical analysis to deliver Loud and Clear(TM) survey results. Through its robust online panel of IT professionals, business executives, and U.S. consumers (www.panelspeak.com), and extensive use of timers and re-screening on its proprietary platform to filter the response data, Amplitude provides its clients with high-quality feedback on technology, business and consumer related subjects.

ABOUT VANDYKE SOFTWARE, INC.
VanDyke Software is a worldwide leader in secure, standards-based internet communications software. The company develops quality data access, file transfer, and communications software for internet and intranet use by corporations, government, and education. VanDyke sells and distributes its software over the internet, offering 30-day evaluation of its products prior to purchase, and has more than one million registered users in over 100 countries. For more information about VanDyke Software, visit the company's web site at www.vandyke.com.