MCAFEE, INC. RESEARCH REVEALS COMPLEX BALANCING ACT FOR AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES USING WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGY
More than 66 per cent of Australian
organisations report using Web 2.0 solutions for many business functions, the
most common of which are IT and sales/marketing. Impressively, the majority of
Australian companies understand the value of having clear policies in place,
with 70 per cent reporting they have implemented a workplace social media
policy. Sixty-eight per cent of organisations that use Web 2.0 report that
expanded use of Web 2.0 technologies could create new revenue streams for their
organisations. Most organisations that allow employee access to social network
sites said they do so because it improves communication (66 per cent), enhances
customer service and allows them to market more effectively (tied at 48 per
cent).
What is preventing organisations from
using technologies including consumer social media applications such as
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and specialised Enterprise 2.0 solutions even
more, striving for that identified revenue potential? In Australia, the primary
concern is lack of productivity with security following closely behind (38 and
33 per cent, respectively).
Almost half of the companies who
responded expressed that they are worried staff will accidentally download
malware or lose data if they open the business up to these technologies,
resulting in lost productivity or worse.
The research shows that security concerns are
actually well founded and the financial implications are significant. Almost
one in two Australian organisations reported they experienced a security
incident, attributed to the use of Web 2.0 applications, the previous year. On
average, organisations spent almost $2 million AUD that year due to
internet-related security incidents.
Over half (55 per cent) of those companies
burned by security incidents suspect webmail for personal use as the likely
cause, and 48 per cent cited employee usage of social networking sites as the
potential culprit. The most blocked tools are social media sites such as
Facebook (55 per cent) and MySpace (47 per cent), with 12 per cent of
organisations blocking all access to social media.
“The potential value of Web 2.0
technologies seems to be well understood by Australian businesses, yet concerns
about security and employee productivity hinder decisions to embrace it,” said
Mike Sentonas, McAfee’s Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Asia
Pacific. “In order for businesses to reap the benefits of Web 2.0, they must
understand their security options, and stay informed because the security
landscape has really changed.”
“For a long time, data infiltration – or
bad content coming in, like viruses and trojans etc. – was the biggest concern.
Virus and malware protection is still vital as attacks on networks are only
increasing in creativity, but data loss prevention must also be an
indispensable component of an organisation’s technology protection.”
Because Web 2.0 applications are
particularly vulnerable to exploitation, industry and security experts
recommend proactive countermeasures and multi-layered security solutions that
include: application control, next-generation firewalls, endpoint protection,
data loss protection, encryption, authentication, integrity monitoring and whitelisting.
“Successful organisational use of Web 2.0
is a complex balancing act,” said Sentonas, “one that requires analysing
challenges and opportunities, mitigating risks, and combining policy, employee
education and technology solutions to ensure security.”
Key Findings:
* Risk mitigation measures need to include implementing a social media
policy: However 30 per cent of organisations have no social media
policies in place and 36 per cent do not have policies for social media use on
mobile devices.
* Australian small businesses are most at risk: 71 per cent of small
businesses still had no policies controlling the use or access of Web 2.0
technologies. 43 per cent believe that security is the main concern in adopting
Web 2.0, despite the potential.
* The majority of organisations restrict use of Web 2.0 technologies: 78
per cent of organisations indicated that they restrict the use of at least one
Web 2.0 tool because they are concerned about security.
* New revenue streams emerged as the highest driver of Web 2.0 adoption:
68 per cent of organisations that use Web 2.0 report that expanded use of Web
2.0 technologies could create new revenue streams for their organisations.
* Security is the second leading concern for Web 2.0 technologies: One
third of the respondents name security risks as their primary concern with Web
2.0 and the reason Web 2.0 technologies are not used more widely in business.
* Fears and concerns about security are well founded: About one in two
organisations in Australia experienced some sort of security incident the
previous year from the use of Web 2.0 applications – virus infections and a
threat on greater volumes of spam were the most common.
* The financial loss associated with these security incidents was high:
On average, organisations spent almost $2 million AUD the previous year because
of security incidents.
For a full copy of the McAfee Web 2.0 report, please visit http://www.mcafeeseminar.com.au/web2/web2report.pdf.
About McAfee, Inc.
McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world's largest
dedicated security technology company. McAfee delivers proactive and proven
solutions and services that help secure systems, networks, and mobile devices
around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse and
shop the Web more securely. Backed by unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence,
McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the
public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with
regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and
continuously monitor and improve their security. McAfee secures your digital
world. http://www.mcafee.com
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NOTE: McAfee and McAfee Global Threat Intelligence are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other marks may be claimed as the property of others.
Contacts:Richelle Gillett / Katie Judge, Spectrum Communications+61 2 9954 3299, mcafee@spectrumcomms.com.au
