Data security top priority in BPO

Fear of fraud grows

By Tim Ferguson, 15 December 2006 11:25

NEWS

Data security is seen as more important than employment laws in business process outsourcing (BPO) deals, a survey has found.

Ninety per cent of managers consider issues such as the protection of intellectual property rights, contract enforcement and data protection more relevant to their business than laws relating to the transfer of staff, according to new research from the National Outsourcing Association (NOA).

The top legal issues managers cited as important include the ability to enforce contracts with offshore providers (93 per cent), data protection that allows cross-border transfers (93 per cent) and technology transfer laws (83 per cent).

Got two seconds?

Make your voice heard - take our latest poll.

Nigel Roxburgh, research director at NOA, said the increased publicity surrounding data security in offshoring, such as Channel 4's recent Dispatches programme revealing data theft in Indian call centres, has played a role in raising concerns.

Roxburgh said in a statement: "Outsourcing professionals are fully aware that allegations of fraud and data security problems can seriously damage a company's reputation and have a negative impact on its image and market performance."

The research, conducted for the NOA by analyst Nelson Hall, questioned more than 100 sourcing managers from end-user companies.

Comments

There is 1 comment. Join the discussion

  1. 1. Fransisbackoffice

    Actually Bpo companies are making headway in securing data over the past year. This is despite the fact that economic downturn kept many companies from making necessary investments in security.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

Log in or create your silicon.com account below

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Membership FAQ