Document sharing practices are creating significant security risks for government and businesses, according to research.
A study by Emedia finds two-thirds of respondents have no active security policy for widely used data sharing systems, while 65% are not marking sensitive information to better restrict access to data for correct recipients.
The study says while data sharing should not be ruled out by organisations, information must be protected to avoid potential data leaks.
Chief executive of Boldon James which safeguards government, defence, policing and intelligence organisations, Martin Sugden, said: ‘Banning data sharing is not the solution; refusing to share data is inefficient and potentially dangerous. What’s important is striking the balance between the need to protect information and the need to share it’
UK Accounting Standards Board member Steve Bailey said: ‘This is a data leakage time bomb. It is remarkable that government users are disregarding the security implications. This could be down to complacency, confusion as to where the responsibility for developing such a policy lies, or simply lack of awareness if use has grown organically without being subject to mainstream security controls.
‘Always ensure users understand their responsibilities for the safe handling of sensitive or confidential data. With the advent of bring your own device this extends to employees and associates.’
