McAfee Inc. Global Report Reveals Security Concerns Hinder Adoption of Web 2.0 and Social Networking in Business
September 27 2010 - 12:01AM
Business Wire
McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) today revealed that business leaders
worldwide see the value of Web 2.0 in supporting productivity and
driving new revenue - but remain deeply concerned about security
threats associated with deploying the technology. A survey of over
1,000 global business decision-makers in 17 countries found that
half of businesses were concerned about the security of Web 2.0
applications such as social media, micro blogging, collaborative
platforms, web mail, and content sharing tools. More than six out
of ten organizations have already suffered losses averaging $2
million, for a collective loss of more than $1.1 billion in
security related incidents last year. There was another 60 percent
concerned about loss of reputation as a result of Web 2.0 misuse.
Brazil, Spain and India led in adoption of Web 2.0 technology for
business, while adoption was lowest in Canada, Australia, the
United States and the United Kingdom.
The report, titled “Web 2.0: A Complex Balancing Act – The First
Global Study on Web 2.0 Usage, Risks and Best Practices”
commissioned by McAfee and authored by faculty affiliated with the
Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and
Security (CERIAS) at Purdue University, examines the drivers for
Web 2.0 and social networking use in business, and assesses their
benefits and risks. Overall, the research highlights that while
organizations see the potential value of Web 2.0 tools, decision
makers continue to debate whether or how to allow employee usage of
the technology in the workplace.
“Web 2.0 technologies are impacting all aspects of the way
businesses work,” said George Kurtz, chief technology officer for
McAfee. “As Web 2.0 technologies gain popularity, organizations are
faced with a choice – they can allow them to propagate unchecked,
they can block them, or they can embrace them and the benefits they
provide while managing them in a secure way.”
Key Report Findings:
- Web 2.0 adoption rates vary
across countries - Overall, Web 2.0 adoption rates are high,
reaching 90 percent or above in Brazil, Spain and India. Adoption
is lowest in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and
Canada.
- New revenue streams are the
highest driver of Web 2.0 adoption - Three out of four
organizations reported that expanded use of Web 2.0 technologies
create new revenue streams while 40 percent said the tools have
boosted productivity and enhanced effective marketing
strategies.
- Security is the leading
concern – Half of respondents named security as their primary
concern for Web 2.0. There was also a third that identified fear of
security issues as the main reason Web 2.0 applications are not
used more widely in their business. Companies’ top four perceived
threats from employee use of Web 2.0 are malicious software (35
percent), viruses (15 percent), overexposure of information (11
percent) and spyware (10 percent).
- Reputation damage is the
biggest business consequence – Sixty percent of companies
reported that the most significant consequence from inappropriate
Web 2.0 and social media usage is loss of reputation, brand, client
or confidence. One third of respondents reported unplanned
investments related to “work arounds” related to social media in
the workplace. Fourteen percent of organizations reported
litigation or legal threats caused by employees disclosing
confidential or sensitive information, with more than 60 percent of
those threats caused by social media disclosures.
- Many businesses block Web 2.0
rather than put policies in place – Worldwide, 13 percent of
organizations block all Web 2.0 activity while 81 percent restrict
the use of at least one Web 2.0 tool because they are concerned
about security. Yet almost one third of organizations reported that
they do not have any social media policy in place. A quarter of
organizations monitor how staff use social media and 66 percent
have introduced social media policies, 71 percent of which use
technology to enforce them.
Executives and industry experts who contributed to the research
agreed that successful organizational use of Web 2.0 is a complex
balancing act. Enterprises must analyze business challenges and
opportunities while mitigating the risks and ensure staff training
and robust technologies are in place to avoid cyber attacks.
“Web 2.0 and social networking technologies can be used
effectively for some business purposes,” said Eugene H. Spafford,
founder and Executive Director of CERIAS. “But to reap the benefits
of Web 2.0, organizations must be proactive about understanding and
managing the corresponding challenges. That involves putting the
right policies in place, and deploying the technology that can
enforce those policies.”
In addition, McAfee will also be hosting a Webcast on October 6,
2010 at 2pm EDT, titled “Bridging the Web 2.0 Security Gap,” with
Chenxi Wang, Forrester Research. This Webcast will cover a recent
Forrester Research Web 2.0 security trends study commissioned by
McAfee. It will help educate enterprise users about protecting
their business while successfully using Web 2.0 technologies.
The McAfee “Web 2.0: A Complex Balancing Act – The First Global
Study on Web 2.0 Usage, Risks and Best Practices” report is
available for download at: www.mcafee.com
About the report:
Web 2.0 is defined broadly as consumer social media applications
such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and specialized enterprise
solutions. CERIAS faculty conducted expert interviews and analyzed
survey data from international research firm Vanson Bourne. Vanson
Bourne executed the survey to more than 1,000 organizational
decision-makers in 17 countries worldwide. The result was an
in-depth study of emerging policies and practices in how
organizations balance the risks and benefits of using Web 2.0
technologies.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is one of the leading public research
institutions in the United States, with strengths in science,
technology, engineering, agriculture, and management.
Internationally known, with outstanding faculty, the campus
includes programs such as the Cyber Center, the Rosen Center for
Advanced Computing, the Computing Research Institute, the Global
Policy Research Institute, and the new large-scale
interdisciplinary Discovery Park.
About CERIAS
The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance
and Security (CERIAS) is the world's largest multidisciplinary
academic center addressing the issues of information security,
assurance, privacy and cyber crime. CERIAS involves more than 80
faculty and 100 graduate students from departments across eight of
Purdue's colleges. An internationally recognized center of
excellence, CERIAS serves as an unbiased resource of information
and research in the public interest.
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 unrivalled McAfee 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
NOTE: McAfee is a registered trademark or trademark of McAfee,
Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
Other marks may be claimed as the property of others. The
information provided is only for educational purposes and is
subject to change without notice; it is provided “AS IS” without
guarantee or warranty as to the accuracy or applicability of the
information to any specific situation or circumstance.
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