This research paper from TheInfoPro (TIP) delivers findings on over 140 in-depth interviews with Fortune 1000 Information Security professionals. When asked about their top areas of concern or pain points, Enterprise Security professionals cited data loss, user awareness, and identity management most often. Citations for data loss were new to the study, and are most likely the direct result of several recent well-publicized data breach incidents. Note that user awareness is always a top concern of Information Security professionals. There is a widespread belief among these professionals that a large percentage of data loss incidents derives from people doing things that are counter to policy or good practices.

Identity management appears on the list of top pain points as a direct result of when compliance audit findings cite a lack of a comprehensive or effective program to manage the credentials of end users who gain access to critical enterprise information. Too often, old accounts remain active past their time; users are granted access to information they do not need, and access events are not traceable in the event the need arises.