A third of financial services firms in the UK now outsource network security operations, more than any other industry sector, according to research commissioned by Unisys.
The survey of 100 enterprise security IT managers from large financial services, banking and insurance organisations found that 30% of firms currently outsource the network security functions.
However the research also found that 73% of financial firms employ an in-house IT security manager, and well over half (68%) have also adopted a proactive cross-departmental IT security planning and review approach – 10% higher than any other sector.
The financial services sector is also more likely to educate employees on security systems and risks. Just over half (51%) of end users within the financial firms had 'good' or 'very good' awareness levels compared to 43% of employees in other sectors in the UK.
Commenting on the research, Mike Eaton, managing partner financial services at Unisys UK says, "The financial services sector is leading the way in IT security by gaining insight and understanding from a third-party, outsourcing partner, as well as involving IT and business managers in the planning and review of security strategies."