Protecting corporate data against hackers and virus attacks is critically important to companies hoping to use technology productively to support business processes, but it`s not enough. The threat of data loss and malware attacks through the proliferation of peripheral devices can pose as much of a danger to companies as hackers.
"Up to 80% of local companies have their information residing on their networks and endpoints connected to these networks," says Amir Lubashevsky, director of Magix Integration, which has been awarded the sole African agency for the international leader in endpoint protection, Safend. "In most of these companies, this information is easily accessed by the average employee with common tools, but not necessarily specialised knowledge."
Lubashevsky says that over 26 000 different USB products exist, with 700 million devices sold in 2004 alone. Additionally, the capacity of these devices is continually growing while their form factors keep shrinking. For example, in 2010 a portable 10GB drive will cost as little as $50.
These peripheral devices are so small they are virtually impossible to trace when being carried by a person or when they are used. And most Windows operating systems will recognise these devices in seconds.
"We know that 39% of USB drive owners already use their devices to transfer files between the office and their homes," Lubashevsky adds. "What`s more, up to 60% of global corporate data resides on corporate endpoints, making it too easy to copy information."
Gartner has noted: "USB (devices) are everywhere nowadays. Giving your staff free rein to use them at work could lead to breaches of security and loss of data... Companies` reputations may be damaged as a consequence of information leaks."
There is a solution to the above problem. Companies can install specialised solutions on an enterprise-wide scale to protect data and intellectual capital. Using these applications, the organisation creates policies that determine who can and cannot access information and what they may do with it. In addition, these applications control who may attach a device to an endpoint.
There are two sides to every comprehensive endpoint security solution:
* Visibility (auditing): This assists businesses in finding out how big the peripheral problem is.
* Control (monitoring): This assists in enforcing company policy and constantly monitoring usage under that policy, preventing security breeches before they occur and allowing management to know what`s going on in real-time.
Safend solutions operate in Microsoft, Linux and Novell environments and deal with both the visibility and control needed in endpoint security. Once installed, it can also check for policy violations retrospectively.
"With Safend protecting and managing access to corporate data, all ports capable of providing information are monitored and controlled on a 24x7 basis," explains Lubashevsky. "Management will not stop staff from working, but with Safend will protect corporate systems while business continues as normal."
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