91% of companies had IT threat
COMPUTING
By BiztechAfrica – Oct. 23, 2011, 6:24 a.m.
91% of companies globally have experienced an IT threat over the last 12 months according to Kaspersky Lab’s Global IT Security Risks Survey.
The report says 61% of the attacks were due to malware infection, 48% of companies have noticed an increase in the number of cyber attacks and 30% of companies have lost critical business data.
Kaspersky Lab notes that globally, 2 billion network attacks are blocked monthly, 2 000 application vulnerabilities were detected in 2010 alone, 70 000 malicious programs appear daily and 1 new malicious program appears every second.
Says Alexander Erofeev, Head of Market Intelligence and Insight at Kaspersky Lab; “Each year, the industry of cybercrime evolves with new threats emerging at a pace that is almost impossible to follow. And from a business point of view, it is fast becoming, not just a must have, but a crucial element for future business viability.”
A solid security solution is the basis of any success security strategy, but companies should not forget that an anti-virus protection must be complemented by a firewall, an intrusion detection system and a security scanner that can be used to find vulnerabilities in the system and can suggest ways to fix them. It is also important to have backups, which can be used to restore data in the case of a disaster.
Additionally, tools allowing controlling applications, web content and removable devices raise the overall security level. Having a centralised management approach to security within an enterprise can assist in this being achieved. And of course – remember the human element. It is important to continuously educate the users about the dangers of cybercrime and how it can be avoided.
“Unfortunately, there is no foreseeable end to the growing cybercrime problem; on the contrary, numbers seem to indicate it is becoming larger from both a local and global perspective, which means that businesses need to exercise heightened online vigilance – ensuring security becomes and remains a key priority and concern. Remember, a healthy dose of scepticism will go a long way in helping to protect your business against fraud and scams: a reputable security solution and up-to-date software should take care of everything else,” concludes Erofeev.
