Watch out for widgets...

When organizations start to use Web 2.0 solutions for collaboration, information collection, and research and development it opens them up to external malware that can undermine the use of the technologies.

With more than 1.5 billion devices connected in the global network this threat is expected to increase. By 2011, IDC expects the number of online devices to have grown to 3 billion.

A Nordic survey carried out by IDC this year shows that about half of Nordic companies are already using Web 2.0 solutions and this share is expected to increase significantly over the next couple of years.

The largest threat when using Web 2.0 is the risk of malicious use of ‘widgets’ to steal personal information on the systems. "Most hackers already use such functions in Web 2.0 applications because they know that more and more people use them," said Per Andersen, managing director for IDC Nordic. "Few people realize the amount of danger they expose themselves to by using popular sites such as Facebook and YouTube."

Compliance and data loss are key issues because the free flow of Web 2.0 content is not controlled. Moreover, corporations don't want to stifle Web-driven collaboration and the resulting innovation. Web security and DLP solutions will be increasingly used to monitor corporate Web 2.0 interactions, but there will be a grim cycle of violations before remedies are applied.

IDC will focus on these — and other — new trends in the security area at conferences on security in Oslo on September 11, Copenhagen on September 23, and Stockholm and Amsterdam on September 25.

http://nordic.idc.com/events

•Date: 4th Sept 2008• Region: W.Europe/World •Type: Article •Topic: ISM
Rate this article or make a comment - click here