More information is always helpful in making decisions.  Many of us check the weather report before heading outdoors on a hike, to make sure we’re prepared for sun or rain. The same principle holds true in business – the more we learn about our industry and current trends, the better prepared we are to weather oncoming storms. With the increasing focus in recent years on protecting confidential information and ensuring sensitive data is secure, the 2013 Cost of a Data Breach Report sheds light on just how costly it can be when our business information is lost or stolen.

A variety of issues are contributing factors in data breaches for business today.  And startlingly, while we are used to thinking of outside attacks as the main focus of a successful defense-in-depth strategy, the report shows that employee negligence and system glitches are actually the cause of nearly two-thirds of data breaches. The costs vary from...

Last fall businesses across the Eastern Coast of the United States were heavily impacted by the devastating effect of Hurricane Sandy. For several of our customers the storm underscored the importance of establishing a defined business continuity process. While the safety of people is always the first priority, the impact of similar events on government services, corporations and small businesses was tremendous and needs to be addressed long term.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in Symantec’s CIO Forum in New York City that preceded the NASDAQ Closing Bell Ceremony. At the event, Symantec customers and partners discussed the importance of ensuring business continuity, specifically in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. These professionals were responsible for business critical data located directly in the storm’s path and needed...

We spend a lot of time talking about our company goals, offerings, marketing and sales, and the Symantec 4.0 transition. As a global company with employees in more than 50 countries, we have the unique ability to address some of society's biggest challenges as part of our business goals... we also have a bigger responsibility to make our world better.

Over the past several months, I’ve talked about corporate responsibility a lot internally – we’re  striving for corporate responsibility leadership. But right now, I'd like to focus on one aspect of corporate responsibility and talk about what our employees are doing to contribute to our local communities. Last fiscal year, we set a goal to raise our employee volunteering hours by 20 percent....

Some of us are numbers people.  We like nothing more than digging into a big batch of numbers.  I confess I’m the other type of person. I still fumble around a spreadsheet and can’t add without the aid of a calculator. For numbers people the ISTR is a terrific document. This year’s report is 160 pages of numbers that do a pretty good job of describing the threat landscape. If you’re a numbers person, feel free to dig in to the full report. You can also check out highlights in this graphic.

If you’re like me, and not really a numbers person, then read on. I’ve bullied my way through the numbers so you don’t have to. Let me give you the highlights, some of the interesting...