Executive ignorance blamed for spread of viruses
Executive ignorance blamed for spread of viruses
Ignorance and negligence within enterprises is contributing greatly to the spread of internet based threats, worms and viruses that cost Australian businesses millions in lost productivity.
That is the view of Kim Duffy, Managing Director of Australian security company Internet Security Systems (ISS), who is scathing at the level of attention paid my many organisations in Australia to security threats.
Duffy believes that worms like Slammer, Blaster, Code Red and Nimda had spread throughout the world largely because of ignorance or negligent apathy.
"Despite advances made in internet security, almost half of Australia’s top 100 IT users remain seriously vulnerable to items from the simplest threats to massive system shutdowns.
"Too many large, medium and small enterprises have not kept pace with the threat posed by the internet and some are therefore woefully exposed," said Duffy.
The opportunities presented by electronic commerce, opines Duffy, are accompanied by attendant risks from both the Internet and the vast number of vulnerabilities now being released almost daily.
"Large IT users believe that any risk associated with internet security is unacceptable and they have taken steps to ensure they are protected by the best technology available.
"Similarly there is no excuse for medium and even small enterprises to remain vulnerable when one considers that appropriate highly sophisticated technology is now available to all.
"Senior management and administrators need to understand that responsibility to protect IT is just as important as the efforts they take to protect their physical security. This is an area of executive management stymied by apathy at best, perhaps even gross neglect."
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