Web 2.0 Security Enhancement Urged

Web 2.0 Security Enhancement Urged

A study has revealed that business organizations are less insistent when it comes to Web 2.0 security. Companies tend to focus more on email security albeit an increasing number of threats is seen in the Web 2.0 world.
Software vendor Webroot conducted the study which included 648 organizations in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Results showed that more than 33 percent of employees from the firms surveyed are accessing non-business related sites which in turn results to potential web breach. Most businesses are not accustomed to protecting their data from Web-based threats.

Mike Irwin, COO of Webroot, said, "We found that Web-borne malware increased over 500 percent in 2007 as cybercriminals developed new ways to attack on-site and remote employees through personal Web mail accounts, social networking sites and other Web 2.0 applications. In the current threat environment, businesses must utilize a Web security solution that provides an additional layer of in-the-cloud protection for corporate and mobile users."

The study concluded that about 85 percent of malware are spread through the Web, and aound 49 percent of businesses permit their employees to access various networking sites which are more susceptible to infections. Irwin also stated, "Employees and businesses regularly use blogs, Wikis and other online information sources that are more susceptible to hackers and infections because they include content from numerous anonymous contributors, rather than one trusted source. "However, awareness is only just beginning to grow among the IT professionals responsible for protecting these organizations. Nearly 30 percent of the IT decision-makers we surveyed did not know if their organization or its employees are using Web 2.0 applications."