Research has indicated widespread concern over maintaining control of files, in addition to tightened information security and privacy regulations have fuelled a rush to block access to cloud-based file sharing applications such as YouSendIt.
Conducted by research firm Hurwitz and Associates and commissioned by Dropbox rival Intralinks, the study revealed that many IT departments remain unaware of the extent to which employees are sharing content using consumer-targeted cloud applications.
The research polled more than 800 IT and business executives from around the world.
Results showed that approximately 60% of employees are using consumer-grade tools for business, with 49% of organizations reporting an attempt at blocking such services, but with limited success.
Although the majority of organizations focus on preventing malicious data theft and hacking, most cases of data loss was shown to be a result of accidental mishandling and inappropriate sharing. For example, 80% of study participants reported receiving an email not intended for them, while 53% confessed to sending an email to parties other than the intended recipient. An astonishing 43% of respondents said such errors occur on a monthly basis.
Almost 90% of the organizations participating in the study expressed concerns about meeting future regulatory demands around information security in their industry, with 43% expecting they will need to change their existing policies.
"The reality is most organizations have limited insight into what content is being shared, where it is being shared and who is sharing it," said John Landy, CTO Intralinks. "Companies need to strike that fine balance between usability and diligent control when evaluating their collaboration strategies.
Based on the intelligence collected through these studies, this research paper advises businesses on best practice guidelines for implementing collaboration tools to ensure regulators are appeased, corporate IP is protected and employees remain productive