Shadow IT and Infrequent Audits Open Door to Data Security Vulnerabilities in the Cloud

Blancco Technology Group Study Finds 26 Percent of Organizations Have Limited Visibility into Use of All Cloud Storage Providers

ATLANTA and LONDON, Oct. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lack of visibility into an organization's use of cloud providers can lead to unauthorized access to data, improper handling and storage of data and improper data removal. As a result, organizations are left highly exposed and vulnerable to a data breach, reveals the "Lost in the Cloud: Data Security Challenges and Risks" research study released today by Blancco Technology Group (LON: BLTG).

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Based on a survey of over 290 IT professionals in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, India, Japan and China, the study indicates that 26 percent of organizations are either 'not confident' or 'somewhat confident' about their IT teams' knowledge of the use of all cloud storage providers. Further exacerbating data security vulnerabilities in the cloud, 15 percent of organizations rarely or never conduct audits of cloud providers who are storing their corporate data.

Key findings from the study include:

• Consolidation and diversification is the name of the cloud computing game. 89 percent of the surveyed IT professionals said they use a total of 1-15 private cloud storage providers and 92 percent use 1-15 public cloud storage providers.
• Fighting off APTs, compromised credentials and hacked interfaces are top cloud security priorities. When we asked IT professionals to rank various cloud security threats in terms of their company's priority – specific to budgets, resources and tools – the respondents cited advanced persistent threats (APTs), compromised credentials and hacked interfaces/APIs as being top priorities.
• Data migration and data center decommissioning processes are fundamental to preventing data loss. 16 percent of organizations admitted that they 'do not know' what security precaution they would take to prevent data loss/theft when decommissioning/shutting down a cloud/virtual server.
• Cloud storage needs defined audit processes and monitoring to stay compliant. Close to half (40 percent) of organizations believe storing corporate data in a cloud environment increases their compliance risk.

Richard Stiennon, Chief Strategy Officer of Blancco Technology Group, urges organizations to counter these data security vulnerabilities by conducting cloud compliance audits on a regular basis. "Whenever storing data offsite with a cloud provider, organizations must be diligent in knowing where their data is being stored, how it's being protected and when it needs to be removed (in the case of migrating data to a new vendor or consolidating data centers, for example). A cloud compliance audit should include a review of policies and procedures that the cloud storage provider applies to your data, the technical solutions in place to protect your data and the skills of technical or business staff responsible for your data."

About Blancco Technology Group
Blancco Technology Group is a leading, global provider of mobile device diagnostics and secure data erasure solutions. We help our clients' customers test, diagnose, repair and repurpose IT devices with the most proven and certified software. Our clientele consists of equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, retailers, financial institutions, healthcare providers and government organizations worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, United States, with a distributed workforce and customer base across the globe.

Blancco, a division of Blancco Technology Group, is the global de facto standard in certified data erasure. We provide thousands of organizations with an absolute line of defense against costly security breaches, as well as verification of regulatory compliance through a 100% tamper-proof audit trail.

SmartChk, a division of Blancco Technology Group, is a global innovator in mobile asset diagnostics and business intelligence. We partner with our customers to improve their customers' experience by providing seamless solutions to test, diagnose and repair mobile assets. SmartChk provides world-class support, pre and post implementation, allowing our customers to derive measurable business results.

Media Contacts:
SHIFT Communications for Blancco Technology Group (US)
David Heffernan, Account Manager
T: [phone]
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SAY Communications for Blancco Technology Group (Europe)
Robert Hickling, Senior Account Manager
T: 44 (0) 20 8971 6427
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The Hoffman Agency for Blancco Technology Group (APAC)
Miyuki Washino, Senior Consultant
T: 81 3 5159 5750
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Blancco Technology Group
Ragini Bhalla, Senior Director of Global Communications
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