Survey Shows 90% of companies increased dependence on IT during this period
Spend on information security is on the rise, however, a survey from KPMG UAE shows that not enough companies are taking a holistic approach to their business continuity and information security planning in the long term. "The survey shows that companies in the UAE are increasingly depending on IT, and their spend has risen accordingly," commented Rajeev Lalwani, Head of IT Advisory practice for KPMG in the UAE and Oman. "Yet 86% of companies are not considering international security standards such as ISO27001 when implementing information security management systems, and 55% allocate funds to projects on a case by case basis. Organizations need to treat security and continuity issues as business issues and embed them in the larger context of risk management policies and procedures. When it comes to information security, there is no point in investing in expensive security technology tools to protect your digital customer information if the same information remains unprotected in paper form."
Integrating a robust incident response mechanism is a significant indicator of an organization's preparedness for security breaches. The survey showed that only 15% of companies in the UAE had considered round the clock monitoring, with the remaining 85% ranging between purely reactive systems and informal levels of monitoring and logging.
Viruses were perceived to be the main security issue, followed by spamming, and internal threats. Only 12 percent of the respondents claimed that their information security function lies outside the IT department, with direct reporting to the board. This again highlights the need for companies in the UAE to examine the extent to which their information security policies are interlinked with overall company policies.
On the business continuity side, only 20% of companies surveyed have a continuity plan that covers the entire organization, and over half the respondents focused their business continuity initiatives mainly on technology and related systems and processes.
A greater understanding is required on the need for geographic dispersion of disaster recovery sites. Most companies surveyed have, or plan to have, secondary recovery sites within the same city or location in which their business operates. This leaves businesses vulnerable in the event of a major disaster in that same city or location. The survey also reveals that organizations recognize people as one of their weakest links. Processes are exposed to risks due to human error, negligence, lack of awareness or even the lack of staff availability during a disruption. Investment in business continuity appears to be constrained, with a majority of firms spending in the lower end of the investment spectrum. Key drivers in the decision to implement a business continuity management program were customer service, compliance, and safety of staff.
As organizations in the UAE grow regionally and globally, it is important that they start considering aligning their security and continuity programs with internationally recognized security and business continuity standards.
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About KPMG
KPMG is a global network of professional firm providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. We operate in 148 countries with more than 6,800 partners and 113,000 professionals working in member firms around the world.
The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. KPMG International provides no client services.
KPMG in the UAE
KPMG in the UAE is a member firm affiliated with KPMG International. The offices were established in 1973 and now consist of about 400 staff members. Services performed by the UAE offices of KPMG include IT Advisory, Internal Audit, Accounting Advisory, Tax, Corporate Finance, Transaction Services, Business Process Outsourcing, Forensic services and Executive Search & Selection.
KPMG is widely represented in the Middle East region and has offices in the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Sharjah), Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.
KPMG's IT Advisory Services focus on the risks inherent in the technology systems used to support our clients' business objectives. Our team of highly skilled IT professionals has the knowledge and experience to help clients manage technology risk and provide them with the information they need to meet their strategic and financial goals.
For more information please contact:
Buchanan Middle East
Samantha Bartel
T +971 4 369 8561
F +971 4 369 8556
M +971 50 656 8851
e-Mail: samantha.bartel@buchananme.com
© Press Release 2007
