Compliance barely registers as an issue for a large majority of UK IT directors, an incorrectly designed survey published by a UK software company reveals today.
Despite the widespread prominence of Sarbanes Oxley and Basel II both in vendor literature and - consequently - the media, respondents from a cross-section of UK companies say disaster recovery, business continuity, growing data volumes, the familiar Data Protection Act and easier-to-understand Freedom of Information Act are the major drivers in their data strategies, with only six per cent mentioning other US-initiated legislation.
This is probably because compliance is largely misunderstood, and the importance of sound, consistent operational practices is not emphasized enough.
But if survey questions are badly posed they are likely to generate false impressions as results. For example, to the question ‘Which factors are driving the need for archiving in your organisation?’, disaster recovery and business continuity, cited by 48 per cent, is far and away the most popular reason given. The second most frequently declared factor is the sheer volume of data growth, at 27 per cent. However, even when combined with corporate governance, compliance is offered as a driver by just 22 per cent of respondents..
Such answers prove not only that compliance is poorly understood by employees and end users, but sadly, also by practitioners and industry analysts. 'Compliance' should not be given as an alternative answer to disaster recovery and business continuity.
Regulatory compliance is an essential part of business continuity, at least in countries where the is a state of right.
Somehow the survey did not seem to grasp that.
Asked the question ‘If regulatory compliance is a driving need, which [of the following] are impacting your business?’, a surprising 48 per cent of respondents don’t identify regulatory compliance as a factor at all. The key regulations affecting business in the UK remain the Data Protection Act (27%) and the Freedom of Information Act (12%). Only 6 per cent mention Sarbanes Oxley, says the survey summary.
Compliance means 'to stick to guidelines'.
These guidelines may be SOX, but it may ve DPA or FOIA all the same.

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