Ponemon Institute Study: New Security Training Yields Increase In Long-Term Gain 300% Higher Than Typical Method

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Defense, Inc. (DDI), a leading provider of managed security risk assessment solutions has released the summary findings of a commissioned study that evaluates the effectiveness of SecurED^®, the company's security awareness education product.  The study, conducted by an independent research organization, the Ponemon Institute, reflects a significant long-term learning gain (60%) for SecurED research subjects.

"Employees who do not understand their responsibility in safeguarding confidential and sensitive information are putting their company at great risk, said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of Ponemon Institute. As revealed in this research, quality security training programs that are relevant and engaging can make a tremendous difference in reducing the threat and likelihood of a data breach."

The research sample included 274 participants from seven industries including financial services, consumer products, healthcare, energy, media, hospitality and education. Several key findings from the study are:

• SecurED outperforms the alternative intervention in long term gains by 300%
• Subjects perceive SecurED as more relevant to their job functions than the alternate
• Subjects perceive SecurED as more enjoyable than the alternate intervention

Additionally, the research provided interesting findings specific to gender, age, employee role, industry and more. Read the summary report .

Social Engineering is one of the most effective techniques that hackers use to penetrate the security mechanisms employed by organizations to protect critical information assets. In order to fend off these forms of attacks, it is essential for organizations to effectively educate their employees.  Ponemon's 2013 Cost of a Data Breach: Global Analysis study shows that 35 percent of global data breaches concerned a negligent employee or contractor (human factor).  In light of these statistics, it is important that organizations have access to training with proven results.

Larry Hurtado, DDI President & CEO, states, "We have received very positive feedback from our SecurED clients, with strong qualitative evidence that the program is making a difference; however, we determined it was important to quantify the effectiveness of the SecurED offering.  As a highly respected research organization, with focus in the privacy and security space, the Ponemon Institute provided the expertise and neutrality that was essential for conducting this research. We are pleased with the results of the study, as well as the insights the research provided.  This valuable information will be applied as we continue to help organizations build a culture of security that includes a highly prepared workforce …key to defending against potential security breaches."

About Ponemon Institute
Ponemon Institute was founded in 2002 by Dr. Larry Ponemon. Headquartered in Michigan, Ponemon Institute is considered the pre-eminent research center dedicated to privacy, data protection and information security policy. The Institute's annual consumer studies on privacy trust are widely quoted in the media and research quantifying the cost of a data breach has become valuable to organizations seeking to understand the business impact of lost or stolen data. Ponemon Institute is the parent organization of the Responsible Information Management Council. The RIM Council has members from leading multinational corporations and focuses on the development and execution of ethical principles for the collection and use of personal, sensitive, or confidential information. The RIM Council enables both seasoned privacy practitioners and those new to the profession to network and learn how to be as successful as possible in their organizations in both the private and public sectors.  http://www.ponemon.org/

About Digital Defense
Founded in 1999, Digital Defense, Inc. (DDI) is the premier provider of managed security risk assessment solutions protecting billions in assets for small businesses to Fortune companies in over 65 countries. DDI's dedicated team of experts helps organizations establish a culture of security through regular information security assessments, awareness education and decisive security intelligence. This proven method bolsters the capability of organizations to reduce risk and keep information, intellectual property and reputations secure. The combination of DDI's certified security analysts, patent-pending scanning technology and proprietary cloud-based vulnerability management system, the Frontline™ Solutions Platform, delivers one of the most powerful assessment results and remediation management solutions available. Contact DDI at 888-273-1412 or www.ddifrontline.com.

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SOURCE Digital Defense, Inc.