Data loss and downtime has cost Australian organisations around $65.5 billion (US$55 billion) in the last 12 months, according to a new survey. Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of the 125 Australian companies surveyed as part of the EMC Global Data Protection Index – researched by Vanson Bourne – experienced data loss or downtime over the period. The average organisation experienced more than three working days (27 hours) of unexpected downtime. Other commercial consequences of disruptions were loss of employee productivity (54 per cent), and loss of revenue (44 per cent), the survey found. The majority (78 per cent) of Australian organisations are still not fully confident in their ability to recover after a disruption, and companies with three or more vendors lost 10 times as much data as those with a single vendor strategy, the research said. Simon Eid, general manager, data protection and availability division, at EMC Australia and New Zealand, said it was worrying that the majority of local organisations are lagging behind in deploying modern data protection methods. “As Australian organisations increasingly embrace mobile, cloud, and big data projects for 2015, the pressures on data protection will only increase. In fact, 60 per cent of Australian businesses feel challenged when it comes to protecting emerging technologies,” he said. The survey found that 58 per cent of Australian organisations still lack a disaster recovery plan for emerging workloads, and only 7 per cent have plans for big data, hybrid cloud and mobile. China, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Singapore and the United States lead protection maturity, while Switzerland, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates lag behind. Australia ranked 11th out of 24 countries surveyed. Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter:@ByronConnolly Related content news Concerns remain even as the EU reaches a landmark deal to govern AI Experts believe the new regulation would add a significant compliance burden on businesses as some argue it could even stifle the growth of the rapidly developing technology. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 11, 2023 7 mins Regulation Regulation Government feature CIOs grapple with the ethics of implementing AI With ethical considerations around AI use increasingly top of mind, IT leaders are developing governance frameworks, establishing review boards, and coming to terms with the difficult discussions and decisions ahead. By Esther Shein Dec 11, 2023 13 mins Generative AI Data Governance IT Governance feature Reed Smith turns to AI for lawyer staffing solution The legal firm’s Smart Resourcing tool helps balance workloads and ensure partners find associates with the right skills and experience, while empowering employees to make connections across the firm’s global footprint. By Sarah K. White Dec 11, 2023 8 mins CIO 100 Legal Digital Transformation news Emirates NBD drives sustainability goals with Microsoft partnership By Andrea Benito Dec 10, 2023 2 mins CIO Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe