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An additional 14% cited User Account Control (UAC), itself a security feature that limits user privileges to restrict the possibility or potency of malware attacks.

In comparison, 22% said that 'improved functionality' was behind their decision to install Vista.

Over two-thirds of respondents to the Amplitude Research enterprise security study said that they have tested, are currently testing or planning to test, Windows Vista. Fifty per cent said that they planned to deploy it, though a third of those are waiting for the first Service Pack update. Another third are only prepared to deploy it where it comes pre-installed on new PCs.

Addressing general security issues, the survey found that when the participants were asked to list the top three, 'secure file transfer' showed the most significant increase. The proportion of respondents ranking it as one of the three top issues in 2007 rose to 31% from just 13% in

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the 2006 study.

Just over two-thirds, 68%, said they used a secure method of file transfer when exchanging sensitive data internally between remote offices, up significantly from 52% in 2006. Three-quarters employ a secure method when exchanging sensitive data with customers, vendors, suppliers and other third parties.

Among those using secure file transfer (externally or internally), close to three-fourths (73%) in 2007 indicate that their organisation's security policy identifies what 'sensitive data' should be exchanged using a secure method of file transfer. This is up from 60% in 2006. And 67% of those using secure file transfer expressed that they are likely to purchase a new or replacement secure file transfer solution within the next 12 months.

Other security issues ranked highly by the survey included: keeping virus definitions up to date; monitoring intrusions; patching systems; and securing remote access.

In 2004, 43% of the respondents to the survey had said that their organisation was using secure shell for remote access; in 2007 the figure has risen to 66%. As a result, use of telnet began to decline last year, falling from 54% to 38% this year.

'The survey findings correlate to what we see happening in the field,' said Jeff Van Dyke, president and founder of VanDyke Software, which commissioned the report. 'Finally, the lines have crossed with steadily increasing adoption of secure shell and a significant decline in the use of telnet to configure network devices.'