Check Point report highlights security risksCheck Point Software Technologies has issued its 2013 Security Report, uncovering major security risks that impact on organisations worldwide. The new report examines top security threats, risky web applications that compromise network security, and loss of data caused by employees unintentionally. Most importantly, the report provides security recommendations on how to protect against these threats. As the arms race between attackers and IT professionals unfolded in 2012, it has become clear that many of the most serious threats remained hidden from network administrators. These threats come from ever-changing techniques deployed by criminal hackers in addition to risky online activities by employees, which unintentionally create vulnerabilities in the corporate network. In order to develop a strong security blueprint, organisations must first be aware of and fully understand the activities occurring on their networks. Major security risksBased on research of nearly 900 companies - including 35 from South Africa, the Check Point 2013 Security Report sheds light on what is hiding on corporate networks, and the major security risks that organisations are exposed to on a daily basis. Findings were split into Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific (APAC) and Americas specific insights. Some of the key findings, which proved particularly relevant in South Africa include:
"The findings from the report confirm that data security and threat prevention need to be included among the top security priorities for business leaders in South Africa today," said Doros Hadjizenonos, sales manager at Check Point South Africa. "A key recommendation from these findings is adopting a security vision that redefines security as a three-dimensional business process that combines policies, people and enforcement for stronger protection across all layers of security - including network, data and endpoints." Other findings from the report include:
"Our research uncovered many alarming vulnerabilities and security threats on networks that most organisations were not aware of," said Amnon Bar-Lev, president of Check Point Software Technologies. "With clearer visibility, IT professionals can now better define a security blueprint to protect their organisations from the constant stream of evolving security threats, ranging from botnets, to employees using risky web applications like anonymisers, to data loss." Read the full report on www.checkpoint.com. |