19% missed a critical deadline because they couldn’t access the right applications, 14% lost a job and 6% missed a promotion

Manchester (UK) and Boston (USA) – Avecto, the leader in Windows privilege management, revealed the results of its recent research that found a fear in the workforce of not being able to hit deadlines, missing promotions or losing their jobs due to ‘loaphobia’ (Lack-Of-Application-Phobia). This fear is well founded as the research found that 19% have missed a critical deadline as a result of being denied full access to an application, 14% lost a job and 6% missed a promotion.

Avecto COO Paul Kenyon explained, “We always knew that there would be a significant impact on businesses if they mismanage user admin rights– security breaches, people accessing data after they leave or expensive help desk calls. This survey also reveals the shocking impact on individuals. Perhaps this ‘loaphobia’ will be the next big thing worrying the UK’s workforce?”

Further key findings of the research showed that:

·   Nearly three in ten people don’t have access to all the applications they need to do their jobs

·   16% of people would be tempted to use their admin rights to access sensitive data if they still had them after they left their company

·   Nearly a quarter of users call IT support 3 or more times per year because they can’t get an app to work because of admin rights issues

·   More than 1 in 5 people know someone in their organization who has breached IT security policies

“Missing a deadline, which has happened to nearly 1 in 5 people, is perhaps a cost to the business rather than the individual, but the fact that another 1 in 5 have lost a job or missed a promotion simply because they couldn’t access the applications they need, is inexcusable,” Kenyon continued.

The survey asked people how many times a year they call IT as a result of not being able to get an application to work because of admin rights issues. The average was 1.77 times per year, but nearly a quarter of people say they call more than three times a year. Each of these calls costs money – both from the IT team and also the loss in productivity of the user while they are failing to do what they need to get done.

The key to giving people the access to the applications they need without compromising security lies in a least privilege approach. The principle of least privilege means giving a user account only those privileges which are essential to that user's work – leaving employees free to do their jobs and companies safe in the knowledge that their networks stay safe and their helpdesk bills are reduced.

The survey of 1,000 people in Britain was conducted by OnePoll in April 2012, on behalf of Avecto.

 About Avecto

Avecto is the leader in Windows privilege management, helping organizations to deploy secure and compliant desktops and servers. With its award winning Privilege Guard technology, organizations can now empower all Windows based desktop and server users with the privileges they require to perform their roles, without compromising the integrity and security of their systems.

Customers of all sizes rely on Avecto to reduce operating expenses and strengthen security across their Windows based environments. Our mission is to enable our customers to lower operating costs and improve system security by implementing least privilege. Avecto is building a worldwide channel of partners and system integrators and is headquartered in Manchester, UK with key regional offices in Andover, MA. For more information, visit www.avecto.com

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