Trustwave: More Than One-Third Of Companies Can Use Help With Access Control

By Ally Kutz, contributing writer

Security measures are key to protecting resources and preventing security incidents. Not only do they help prevent incidents, but they also have capabilities to assist post-incident with investigations or criminal proceedings.

Trustwave's 2014 State of Risk Report, a 16-month comprehensive survey of over 400 IT professionals in more than 50 countries, reveals however, 36 percent of companies surveyed have partial or no appropriate physical access controls in place.

The report lists tasks your customer — with your assistance — can perform to maximize physical security, including regularly assessing all measures to make sure they meet requirements, regularly performing social engineering tests, conducting background checks on third-party organizations, and establishing a reporting system of incidents and issues.

Technical controls also play a huge part in managing access to sensitive data and minimizing the risk of security breaches. Trustwave suggests you ensure any systems or devices connected to your customer’s network are properly protected.

Trustwave advises implementing correct processes, applying controls appropriately, performing regular reviews of configurations, and conducting vulnerability assessments on all control systems.

Of those surveyed, 81 percent state they have full or partial methods to controlling and tracking sensitive data in order to prevent loss — 19 percent do not.

Trustwave suggests that companies without in-house capabilities to manage security issues consider partnering with a managed services provider.

To request a copy of the report, click here.