Outsourcing and Information Security: What Are the Risks?

by Nancy R. Mead

When outsourcing is the subject of discussion, the issues that typically surface include concerns about employment for US engineers [4], lower salaries in developing countries, the adequacy of management, and communications problems. These business and social issues are indeed important, but little attention is being paid to the potential for information security problems when outsourcing occurs. Some of the issues are: