Despite significant increase in the number of remote workers only 27 per cent of organizations use encryption to protect data
CALGARY, AB, January 14, 2010 – Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today shared the results from a global customer survey of businesses regarding endpoint security trends. Check Point found the number of remote workers continues to grow and businesses need to expand their IT measures to safeguard the increasing mobile workforce.
According to the survey of 224 IT and security administrators, over 40 per cent of businesses in the last year have more remote users connecting to the corporate network from home or when travelling compared to 2008. Check Point discovered the clear majority (77 per cent) of businesses have up to a quarter of their total workforce consists of regular remote users.
Yet, regardless of the growth in remote users, Check Point found just 27 per cent of respondents say their companies currently use hard disk encryption to protect sensitive data on corporate endpoints. In addition, only nine per cent of businesses surveyed use encryption for removable storage devices, such as USB flash drives. A more mobile workforce carrying large amounts of data on portable devices leaves confidential corporate data vulnerable to loss, theft and interception.
“With less than 30 per cent of businesses saying they use data encryption, the majority of corporations are left dangerously exposed to the risk of a serious data breach,” said Paul Comessotti, Check Point’s Canadian Country Manager. “Fortunately, the survey data also shows enterprises recognize the need to address the issue, particularly with a growing mobile workforce.”
Check Point’s survey revealed approximately 47 per cent of respondents plan to purchase an endpoint security solution in the next year with disk encryption (24 per cent), NAC (22 per cent) and media encryption (13 per cent) being the most popular endpoint applications. Desktop antivirus (90 per cent), antispyware (56 per cent), personal firewalls (49 per cent) and VPN clients (49 per cent) remain the leading endpoint applications already deployed within the organizations surveyed.
IT staff surveyed at companies with less than 5,000 employees also report they currently use endpoint products from an average of three different vendors in their organizations, causing security management issues. Larger enterprises use on average endpoint products from five different vendors and also feel the complexity is difficult to manage effectively.
Check Point Endpoint Security is the first and only single agent to combine all the critical components for total security on the endpoint. With over 10 integrated security capabilities, Check Point Endpoint Security delivers higher levels of security while providing a transparent end user experience. Endpoint Security is the only single agent to include Check Point WebCheck pre-emptive browser security, Full Disk Encryption, port and removable media protection and remote access VPN with traditional components of endpoint security.
The Check Point survey covered a range of business sectors. Eighteen percent of respondents were from the finance sector, 14 per cent from manufacturing and 11 per cent from local or national government.  Forty-four percent were from North and South America, 42 per cent from EMEA and 11 per cent from Asia Pacific region.  In terms of organization size, 23 per cent had up to 99 employees, 25 per cent had 100 to 499 employees, 13 per cent had 500 to 999, 24 per cent had between 1,000 and 4,999 employees and 15 per cent had more than 5,000 employees.
“Lost or stolen data is a security concern that is very much preventable. Check Point Endpoint Security is designed to protect sensitive data,” said Comessotti.