SAN FRANCISCO -- RSA Conference 2010 -- Their policies are being enforced, but most security professionals are far from sure their defenses are adequate.

That's the result of a poll conducted here last week by security tool vendor Brocade. In a poll of 144 show attendees, nearly 90 percent of respondents thought their policies regarding data leaks and threats are being "somewhat" or "totally" enforced.

But respondents' attitudes about other issues were not nearly so certain. In fact, two-thirds of those surveyed said they estimate their network security solutions thwart fewer than 25 percent of network-based security threats.

The survey showed a similar lack of confidence in the effectiveness of employee background checks. More than half of all respondents said they don't believe such checks are effective in determining whether an employee is a potential spy.

Almost half (48 percent) of respondents said they fear leaks to competitive companies more than any other recipient of sensitive information. Fifteen percent were most concerned about foreign governments, while 10 percent were worried about organized crime.

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