Poor network management and basic security vulnerability oversights are leaving organizations open to security attacks and operational downtime.

This is one of the key findings in the Network Barometer Report launched by Dimension Data. The Report presents the aggregate data from 152 Secure Network Infrastructure Assessments (SNIAs) conducted by Dimension Data for organizations around the world during 2008, and provides an overview of networks’ configuration, security vulnerabilities and device life-cycle status.

According to the Report, 73 percent of networking devices have known security vulnerabilities which expose a business to both external and internal security attacks and breaches, and which could have significant implications for regulatory compliance.

The research found that an average of 15 security configuration errors were found per device deployed – despite widely published and recommended standards.

The report also reveals that 43 percent of all equipment reviewed had entered the first end-of-life cycle stage, and of that group, 56 percent was beyond either end-of-software maintenance or last-day-of-support. Ageing IT and network assets, depending on their functions, will become increasingly unsupportable and open to risk, leaving the organization exposed to potential availability and mean-time-to-repair risks.

www.dimensiondata.com/networkbarometer

•Date: 6th May 2009• Region: World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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