[September 26, 2008]

Webroot Research: Web Threats Are More Pervasive Than Email Threats - Yet Businesses Fail to Protect Against Them

(Wireless News Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
Webroot, a provider of security solutions, has released primary
research revealing the impact of Web 2.0 on the enterprise.

According to the study, 85 percent of malware is now distributed
through the Web, Webroot found, but businesses are not adequately
protecting themselves against Web-borne viruses, spyware and employee
behavior that lead to security breaches, loss of intellectual property
and release of confidential data.

"Businesses are taking measures to protect against e-mail-based
threats, but they are not yet attuned to the greatest threat vector
today: Web-based threats driven by employee Web use," Mike Irwin, COO,
Webroot. "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."

Webroot also found that while businesses now depend on Web applications
to execute critical functions including customer support, research and
ad campaigns, IT professionals are not adequately aware of the Web 2.0
world or the new set of threats it has introduced. Only 15 percent of
the businesses Webroot surveyed reported solid enforcement of Internet
usage policies to reduce their organizations' vulnerability. Industry
research shows 49 percent of businesses allow employees unlimited
access to social networking sites, which do not monitor their content

for malware. Further, more than 85 percent of organizations still rely
solely on desktop defenses which do not scan for malware in inbound Web
traffic.

"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," added Irwin. "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. For better security,
businesses must educate employees and use appropriate technology to
monitor and manage their Web activity in order to minimize risk."

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((Distributed on behalf of 10Meters via M2 Communications Ltd -
http://www.m2.com))
((10Meters - http://www.10meters.com))

Copyright ? 2008 Wireless News

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