Limited IT security expertise causes compliance problems

New McAfee research suggests firms face challenges in 2007

Many businesses are struggling to cope with compliance requirements and are putting their reputation at risk due to a lack of IT security experts, according to a new survey commissioned by web security vendor McAfee.

The research, International Perspectives on Information Security Practices, warns that enterprises are currently forced to rely on a limited supply of security specialists, who have the requisite skills to allocate IT security resources appropriately in order to comply with regulations.

The survey's author, Jonathan Liebenau of the London School of Economics, interviewed IT directors, security officers and finance chiefs. He also found that many believed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to be "too vague in its specifications, and at the same time too prescriptive in its implications".

In related news, The Training Camp has announced a 44 percent rise in enquiries about its IT security courses over the last year. The IT training company said that security is set to overtake software development as the number one technology focus next year.