Information protection and control takes off

Data loss prevention and encryption will become features of a more comprehensive security package

Experts are predicting a surge in the adoption of information protection and control (IPC) technologies.

IDC put the expected uptake down to the increased value of digital information, coupled with more stringent government regulations, industry recommendations, and intellectual property protection.

A new IDC survey found that 81 per cent of respondents view IPC as an important part of their overall data protection strategy.

IPC includes technologies that monitor, secure/encrypt, filter and block sensitive information contained in data at rest, in motion and in use.

The survey findings reinforce IDC's prediction that data loss prevention and encryption will become features of a more comprehensive IPC package.

"A number of high-profile incidents have raised awareness of the growing data-leakage problem," said Brian Burke, programme director for IDC's Security Products and Services group.

"The leaking of customer records, confidential information and intellectual property has caused explosive demand for solutions that protect against the deliberate or inadvertent release of sensitive information."

The IDC Special Study noted that close to three-quarters of organisations are currently using IPC, and 64 per cent are planning to invest in new IPC technologies.

The highest priority is data leakage prevention deployed at the perimeter and endpoints. Budget and complexity are the largest barriers to IPC investment.

• IDC Special Study: Information Protection and Control Survey: Data Loss Prevention and Encryption Trends