Optimize Magazine > Executive Report / Security > Security Gets Top-Level Attention > August 2003 : "
By Tom Stein
September 2003, Issue 23
Akhil Bhandari, VP of IT at CCL Industries Inc. in Toronto, has noticed an interesting trend. Lately, members of the executive team have been sending him E-mail about viruses, security breaches, and acts of cyberterrorism they've read about in the news. These executive including the CFO, COO, and even the CEO just want to make sure the $1.2 billion contract manufacturer of popular consumer products is adequately protected.
'Security is certainly more of a discussion point among executives these days,' Bhandari says. 'More than ever, I have to keep our executive team abreast of what's happening out there and what we need to do about it.'
Bhandari isn't alone. A recent survey of 815 business-technology and security professionals, jointly conducted by Optimize and InformationWeek, found that senior executives are taking a greater interest in information-security issues and having a stronger say in how security dollars are spent.
Significantly, more than half of the survey respondents said regulatory requirements are the primary drivers of new investments in information-security products and services. Other reasons cited include potential liability/exposure (70%), potential revenue impact (41%), and partner/vendor requirements (24%)."
COMMENT:
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Now the question remains, how do you allocate the funding to protect your most valuable intangible asset? Corporate Reputation.
