Outsourced--And Out Of Control

[OhioChick]

09.30.08, 11:00 AM ET

As the economy sinks and budgets are squeezed, outsourcing looks more and more like a thrifty necessity. But when it comes to the data security of those far-flung offices, businesses may find they get what they pay for.

A study released Tuesday, compiled from surveys of information technology managers and users in 10 countries, reveals an alarming gap between the information-security practices of developed countries and those of emerging markets like China, Brazil and, to a lesser degree, India.

The research, which was commissioned by Cisco Systems (nasdaq: CSCO - news - people ) and carried out by research company Insight Express shows that 75% of Brazilians and 66% of Chinese executives either weren't sure about their employees' data-sharing practices or believed that their employees shared corporate information with those outside the company, compared with 47% of IT managers in the U.S.

Interviewing users, Insight Express found that Brazilian, Indian and Chinese employees were the most likely to alter or remove security settings on company-issued laptops. Chinese users, in fact, were three times as likely as the average respondent to tamper with their machines' security software. And users from those three countries were also the most likely to engage in other risky behavior on work PCs, including reading personal e-mail, downloading music and video and even peer-to-peer file-sharing, a practice that often spreads malicious software or inadvertently gives outsiders access to sensitive documents.

Given that only 10 nations were included, the study's results shouldn't cast aspersions on India, China and Brazil specifically, warns Cisco's vice president of network security Marie Hattar. But the numbers show that inexperienced IT industries may not share the developed world's emphasis on security and privacy, she argues. "Starting with call centers, companies are outsourcing more knowledge workers than ever to countries like China and India," Hattar says. "But because those countries haven't seen the outbreaks and attacks that happened here five or six years ago, the focus on user education there hasn't been very strong."

http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/09/29/outsourcing-data-breaches-security-tech-cx_ag_0930outsource.html

[lib2DaBone]

1. As we sink to third world status....

You would think the least CONgress could do would be to repeal tax breaks for Corporations that take jobs overseas. Sounds like such a simple thing? But instead we get told how the Recession is is the 'workers' fault and they need $700 Billion to cure it. I don't know....

[OhioChick]

3. Yes,

It's all OUR fault, the U.S. worker. Give us some jobs and then we'll be able to pay for our bills, homes, etc.

Instead, we'll HAVE to pay for a bailout with our taxpayer dollars AND have our jobs shipped overseas. :banghead:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Yeah, but...

Outsourcing is fashionable! It's like wearing tha latest clothes of having the latest cell phone for the executives! And it saves money! So, if you lose some data, it's just a part of doing business! Besides, when the shit hits the fan, those guys are gonna be long gone, on the next rung of the ladder to their goal of being yet another grossly incompetant CTO or CEO! Because the country doesn't have enough of either!

[AndyTiedye]

4. Kicking, Recommending, and Bookmarking

:kick:

[ihavenobias]

5. K & R, interesting

[trthnd4jstc]

6. Outsourcing is unpatriotic. Outsourcing shows who does not love the US. n/t

[OhioChick]

7. Greedy U.S. CEO's. n/t

[Waiting For Everyman]

8. It isn't really cheaper either, you can make numbers say anything.

Many states offshore call centers for Federal FOOD STAMPS! Can you believe that? And it costs an average of $34,000 more per year. It's classic bid-lying by subcontractors. Bid low, then overrun.

Government never gets smaller (as the Repub mantra goes), it's just moved off the government payroll by privatizing. "Smaller government" is another Big Lie. And then, there is no oversight over any of it.