Storage Managers Cite Data Security As Top Concern

Protecting and securing data is the greatest challenge in storage management, according to a survey released Monday by CompTIA, an IT trade association.

Security was cited as the top concern by one-third of 660 storage management execs surveyed between January and March. Management and administration of stored data was the second highest concern, cited by 17% of respondents, followed by speed of access to stored data (10%), and making data more accessible (8%).

Paradoxically, only 6% of the respondents cited compliance with government regulations as the top concern. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as well as other federal, state, and industry regulations, contain requirements for protecting the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of data.

The need to secure and protect data affects businesses of all sizes, including Richland County Bank, a $105 million asset institution operating out of a single location in Richland Center, Wis. The bank is looking into replacing its current system of creating daily backup tapes and storing them at an offsite facility with a mirrored hot-site system for continuous backup and availability, says CTO Corey Davis.

The conjunction of information security and storage was one of the driving factors behind last year's acquisition of Veritas Software Corp. by Symantec Corp.