Data Loss Is Top Concern in Microsoft Poll

If Microsoft's annual security straw poll is any indication, IT people are a lot less worried about security this year than they were in 2006.

In its blog yesterday, Microsoft's Forefront security team published the results of an informal telephone poll of 1,274 IT professionals conducted by CMG Market Research about key issues facing IT. The Microsoft unit sponsored a similar poll in 2006.

Interestingly, respondents registered less concern in 2007 than they did in 2006, despite a constant barrage of industry reports that indicate worsening security conditions. In the Microsoft poll, concerns about malware, spyware, phishing, spam, compliance, and remote access were all down from last year.

Concerns about malware (including viruses, Trojans, and worms) dropped a whopping 31 percent over 2006. Spam, compliance, phishing, and remote access also registered double-digit drops in anxiety.

Data loss was the only area in which Microsoft saw an increase in concern over the past year. Worry over data loss has grown by 11 percent since 2006, the survey says.

— Tim Wilson, Site Editor, Dark Reading