The Hindu Business Line : Info security must focus more on people: ICS

Social security numbers should not be noted but I have seen many employees noting it; even our boss (does it) ... so, whom do we report the fraud to?"

This is one of the responses that a BPO employee gave in a recent spot test conducted by Indiaforensic Consultancy Services (ICS), a Pune-based consultancy organisation engaged in fraud examination and forensic accounting in India.

According to Indiaforensic, absence of whistle-blowing policies, fraud response plans and training in ethics are the primary concerns in information security.

Indiaforensic conducted spot tests in a few BPO companies in Pune in the light of concerns on information security raised following the recent sting operation by a UK-based media organisation at an Indian call centre.

ICS interviewed over 25 employees at the implementation level.

"We at Indiaforensic believe that the larger reason why such incidents continue to occur is not lack of information security norms, but rather a lack of whistle-blowing policies, fraud response plans and training on ethics," says a report brought out by the company following the spot-test.

Authored by Mr Mayur Joshi and Mr Pradeep Akkunoor, who head ICS, the report argues that the focus of information security standards remains at the process and infrastructure level, and rarely deals with the people aspect of security.

Mr Akkunoor said that the solution is to implement a standard framework by which fraud can be reported. "Anonymous reporting should be made possible," he said, suggesting that there be a hotline, or an anonymous e-mail ID to which people can report the matter.

Citing a 2004 report by US-based Association of Certified Fraud Examiners on occupational fraud and abuse, Mr Akkunoor said that in the US, fraud was reduced by 60 per cent when a hotline was made available. "In fact, fraud is discovered through tip-offs 40 per cent of the time."

He suggested that a body such as Nasscom could provide this service as a neutral third party. ICS has made recommendations to the association and is about to conduct talks with the same.

Apart from the framework, ICS advocates training in ethics. The report on the spot tests states that more than 90 per cent of the respondents were not aware of any whistle-blowing policy, and most of them were not even clear on what constitutes fraud and what doesn't.

Mr Akkunoor said that educating the employees is important, since most of them are fresh out of college and may not understand the industry and the significance of their actions.

More Stories on : Security | Economic Offences | Outsourcing

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Design software vendors see big market in India

E-filing rakes in success

Info security must focus more on people: ICS

Features-rich softphone tool from Globe 7

Tata Tele hopeful of more licences

Cisco bullish on pharma sector

`West European outsourcing market grows fastest'

Anti-porn tool from Vishesh Info