Data security needs to be much more of a priority to technology businesses, an accountancy firm has warned.
According to KPMG, a "concerning" number of companies in the sector currently regard the issue as "nothing more than a hygiene exercise".
However, European head of technology Tudor Aw has argued that it should instead be "elevated to be a more strategic concern".
KPMG said this means the subject of data security needs to be "communicated and leveraged with clients".
The organization predicted that stepping up their focus on the issue could help technology businesses to alleviate "nagging doubts" over how secure their information actually is.
This, it said, could in turn help to fuel the take-up of technologies such as cloud computing around the world.
Mr Aw added that data security can have "massive ramifications" for areas such as business development, marketing and sales, which means it needs to be "treated accordingly".
Posted by Paul Newton