Security in the age of information

The amount of data being stored on computers, online and on cell phones is reaching enormous proportions and is expanding at such a rate that businesses the world over are struggling to keep up. According to a recent IDC study, the amount of the data in the world is to grow by 50x within the next ten years.

The interesting thing about the development is that the information is not being driven by the typical sources – downloading movies, writing email messages and uploading photos is being overshadowed by "embedded systems" such as medical hardware and integrated technology with buildings and bridges.

With the cost of hosting each terabyte dropping and cloud providers offering low, centralized rates, it is clear there has been a serious push toward online services in order to promote better information management. However, the Office of The Inspector General has claimed that hospitals need to do more to protect their information. Digitizing records and pushing information online is not enough if coupled with weak encryption and open wireless networks, the report said.

As more information becomes digital, businesses and hospitals should take great care to utilize solid document management.

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