Last week, TELUS released the results of the 2010 TELUS/Rotman Study on Canadian IT Security Practices during a media announcement at TELUS House Toronto.  In its third year, the survey reflects responses from 523 Canadian business owners, managers and executives, nationwide.  Although the event was hosted in Toronto, media and influencers from across the country were able to partake live via webcast.  

Here are a few of the key findings:

 1.  Canadian security breaches rose 29 per cent while breach costs decreased by 78 per cent.  Private and public sectors experienced a minimal increase in security breaches; government reported a significant breach increase of 74 per cent.

 What does this mean?  Increased IT investment has led to greater visibility and earlier detection of these breaches, ultimately lowering clean-up costs.  The study also reveals a growing trend toward sophisticated attacks on high value data such as identity information and credit card numbers. What this says to businesses is that it’s crucial to take a proactive approach in securing data and implementing employee education to maintain security, as we see a continued increase of more intelligent attacks.

 2. This year’s results uncover a misconception:  One in four Canadian organizations are blocking access to social networking sites, citing security as the primary reason. Today, 66 per cent of employees in the government sector have access to social networking in the workplace, as do close to 80 per cent of private and public sector employees. 

 What does this mean? In both cases, organizations that block access to these sites actually bring productivity and security issues upon themselves as employees spend valuable time trying to circumvent the block or surf the sites through their mobile devices.  As technological innovations continue to develop, from social networking to the proliferation of smartphones, there needs to be an increased focus on education and awareness across IT, development and employees to ensure security risks and responsibilities are understood.

But perhaps the most exciting result of these 2010 findings is the interest shown by both business and consumer media. We’re looking forward to next year’s results!

This week, Mia’s column talks about the power of public relations strategies that integrate both online and offline marketing tactics.

She writes: “The number of people on sites such as Facebook and Twitter is getting bigger every day, and because the basic strategy of most public relations campaigns is to be where the people are, our target audiences have now become much more accessible. That said, as we learned last week, some of the strongest PR campaigns succeed because they strike the perfect balance between digital and traditional communications. No matter how big or small, the really good ones draw on the power of online innovation, but they also integrate tried-and-true traditional tactics to get the word out. It might be quick and easy to send a tweet or post a blog, but it can still be very meaningful to reach out in a more traditional offline fashion.”

Featuring Speakeasy Tattoo, a small custom tattoo shop in downtown Toronto with a strong online presence, Mia shares the story of how owner Lizzie Renaud executed a promotional campaign that used traditional handbills and posters, but also harnessed the power of her shop’s many social networks.

Mia writes: “Though it was a small campaign for a very select audience, the lessons learned from Speakeasy apply to businesses of all sizes. Traditional marketing tactics need not be abandoned for social networking – it is the combined power of both that will deliver the best results.”

Check out Mia’s column every Thursday in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

(Photo: Speakeasy)

Microsoft Canada recently conducted a survey that examines how Canadians are using the Internet and their favourite social networking sites. The survey revealed that on average, we have about seven different personal profiles but most aren’t managing these effectively –putting their online identities at risk.

The survey results took me back to my time at Carleton University when I studied journalism. Armed with a Hi-8 video camera, another student and I decided to make a documentary that examined how the “World Wide Web” would affect television journalism. I’m sure if I could find a VCR to watch this groundbreaking exposé again, we would find it quaint in retrospect.

Back then, the media were still calling the Internet the “Information Superhighway ”. While I don’t think we had the vision to imagine the mechanics of YouTube, Facebook or Twitter , our documentary concluded that the Internet would make the news more democratic; new “prosumer ” technology such as DVD camcorders would make it more accessible for consumers to tell their own stories and the Internet would make the nightly newscast more interactive.

Ten years later, social networking sites have made consumers their own broadcasters. Cell phones with advanced photo and video capabilities have made the user the paparazzi. The ethical standards and editorial filters of traditional journalism are ignored online. As a result, individuals most now think of their online identity or persona in the same way a marketer would manage their corporate brand.

Like it or not, it’s the same for companies. Businesses are finally beginning to realize that if you are not online someone else is in control of the message. Are you happy with the results people get back when they input your name in a search engine? Are you effectively monitoring what bloggers are saying about you? Are you reviewing and looking to implement social media analytical tools to measure and manage your online identity?

If not, why not?