Cisco Warns Of Security Threats To The Enterprise
By Mike Sachoff
Staff Writer
Article Date: 2010-07-22
Businesses need to change their mindset on security to help ensure that their networks and vital corporate information are protected from evolving security threats, according to the Cisco 2010 Midyear Security Report released today.
The increasing use of social networking, the proliferation of network-connected mobile devices, and virtualization - continue to alter the security landscape. As a result, enterprise professionals must act immediately to put effective security practices into place in order to protect their companies' reputation and maintain a competitive edge.
Cisco Security Intelligence Operations research found that 7 percent of global sample of users accessing Facebook spend an average of 68 minutes per day playing the popular interactive game "FarmVille." "Mafia Wars" was the second most popular game, with 5 percent of users each racking up 52 minutes of play daily, while "Caf World," played by 4 percent of users, accounted for 36 minutes of wasted time per day.
Although loss of productivity is not a security threat, cybercriminals are believed to be developing ways to deliver malware via these games.
Fifty percent of end users admitted that they ignore company policies prohibiting the use of social media tools at least once a week, and 27 percent said they change the settings on corporate devices to access prohibited applications.
While legitimate businesses spend time weighing the decision to embrace social networking and peer-to-peer technologies, cybercriminals are among the early adopters, using them to not only commit crimes but also to enhance their communications and to speed transactions with each other.
"Technological innovations are fundamentally changing the way people live, work, play, share information and communicate with each other, said John N. Stewart, Cisco vice president and chief security officer.
"Because consumers are typically the early adopters, enterprises often struggle to adapt existing polices to address their employees' preferred use of technology. With a number of tectonic forces converging in the marketplace, now is the time for enterprises to transform their IT model to accommodate the emerging borderless network and increasing security challenges."
About the Author:
Mike is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.
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