BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - July 8, 2009) - According to the latest research, companies are
currently facing a significant challenge with respect to safeguarding their
critical data in unstructured formats (i.e. in documents and file systems),
a problem made worse by the ubiquity of web-based portals and collaboration
tools such as Microsoft SharePoint. A new research report published by
Aberdeen Group, a
Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS), shows that companies who
share and collaborate using unstructured data
without simultaneously taking steps to protect and manage it are not only
at risk of incurring millions of dollars of cost due to data loss or
exposure, but also of spending hundreds of thousands more than necessary
for compliance and the cost of ongoing operations.
Companies correctly look to increase collaboration and the sharing of
information as a boost to productivity and competitiveness, but to the
extent that their sensitive information is contained in unstructured
formats -- such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files,
email, web pages, and a rich variety of multi-media -- they also need to
protect and manage it. Unstructured data is the liquid mercury of the
information age: when it escapes from its centralized container, it is
easily dispersed and travels far and fast to every nook and cranny of the
extended organization. The simultaneous ability to share and protect
unstructured data presents an immediate opportunity for IT Security teams
to act as a vitally important enabler for supporting the strategic
objectives of the business.
"Perhaps the biggest challenge with protecting and managing unstructured
data is that it has steadily become so important -- and so easy -- to
share," said Derek E. Brink, vice president and research fellow for IT
Security, Aberdeen Group. "The research shows that use of technologies such
as data loss prevention (DLP), endpoint-related encryption and associated
key management, and enterprise rights management (ERM) are what currently
distinguishes the companies earning Best-in-Class results."
A complimentary copy of "
Securing Unstructured Data: How Best-in-Class Companies
Manage to Serve and Protect" is made available in part by the support
of the following research underwriters: Liquid Machines and SafeNet. To
obtain a complimentary copy of the full report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5877.
To view complimentary 30-minute webcasts highlighting findings from this
and other Aberdeen IT Security research, visit
http://www.brighttalk.com/channels/1209/view.
For additional access to complimentary
Information Technology research, visit
research.aberdeen.com.
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers
demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the
past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving
market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering
meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the
global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that
drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen or call (617) 854-5200, or to
learn more about
Harte-Hanks,
call (800) 456-9748.
© 2009 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1928
Telephone: (617) 854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Derek E. Brink
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5254
Derek.Brink@aberdeen.com