According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, nearly a third of the 145 international senior executives surveyed listed IT systems collapse as their company's greatest risk, ranked above natural disasters and terrorism. Only 1 in 10, however, said their businesses had ample IT risk management. Complex IT systems keep companies competitive, but can leave them vulnerable. According to the report's editor, Rama Ramaswami, IT risks include:
- Interruption of business continuity;
- The impact of delayed IT projects; and,
- An effect on customer service revenue and productivity.