IT managers are hacking their own systems, even in healthcare, survey finds

18 Feb IT managers are hacking their own systems, even in healthcare, survey finds

Posted at 16:55h in Health Technology, IT, Security, Software by

The Absolute report also showed that 65 percent of IT decision makers believe they would lose their job in the event of a breach.

A high percentage of IT workers admit to not following the same security protocols they are expected to enforce, according to a new survey conducted across the United States by Absolute, a Canadian security firm.

In fact, 33 percent admitted to successfully hacking their own or another organization and 45 percent admitted to knowingly circumventing their own organization’s security policies.

“The big surprise for us in this survey is that the gatekeepers are really the gatecrashers,” said Stephen Midgley, vice president of global marketing for Absolute. Moreover, he said, while the survey of IT department managers included several industries, the findings apply across the board, with healthcare no exception.

“Given that IT is the security gatekeeper for an organization, it was alarming to see such high incidents of non-compliant behavior by IT personnel,” he said. “Even if these actions are being performed to validate existing infrastructure, senior leadership should be aware that this activity is occurring. It may also be worthwhile to consider third-party audits to ensure adherence with corporate security policies.”

IT decision-makers bear the brunt of responsibility. Of those surveyed, 78 percent said the organization’s security is primarily IT’s responsibility. The report also showed that 65 percent of IT decision makers believe they would likely lose their job in the event of a security breach.

“The gaps in current data breach response plans and in upholding general best practice policies must be addressed,” Midgley said.

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