IT staff gain unauthorised access to sensitive data

Lieberman blames the failing on "management's naivety when it comes to understanding just how much privileged access their IT departments actually have". The security management software firm's study also reveals that 39% of IT professionals believe their senior management "do not have the faintest idea what IT can and cannot access". Further, a staggering 78% admit that they could walk out the office tomorrow taking highly sensitive information with them – while one third also say that they'd still be able to access sensitive information long after leaving the company, because of lapses in security practices. Commenting on this research Philip Lieberman, president and CEO of Lieberman Software, says: "Companies should wake up to the fact that IT holds the keys to the kingdom. Nothing is secret or private unless you establish systems and procedures to lock down data from prying eyes and, according to our study, most organisations don't." Lieberman suggests that in the good old days, sensitive data was locked away in a filing cabinet. "Today, it's locked away in a virtual filing cabinet, but the problem is most companies have no idea just how many people have keys," he says. "What's clear from this survey," Lieberman continues, "is that management just doesn't understand the privileges their IT staff have to the most sensitive data. Even the bosses' documents can be read by 42% of IT personnel and, if these guys can't be trusted – which in some cases they can't – the directors shouldn't be surprised when their data gets leaked or exploited."