In recent months, some of the most well-known brands have been the targets of high-profile hacking attempts, and the personal data of more than 100 million consumers may have been compromised.
Video: Security experts warn firms of online risks
Last Updated: June 14, 2011 UAE
Online security experts, who’ve recently gathered for roundtables in the region, warn that outbreaks of viruses or malware can be damaging to a business--especially among smaller firms.
But experts warn that outbreaks of viruses or malware, which are designed to infect and sometimes even bring down computer systems in a company, can be just as damaging to a business.
"I believe smaller companies are more subject to outbreaks than targeted attacks, namely because of the cost and time in developing a highly-targeted attack," says Philippe Roggeband, a business development manager for the emerging markets division of Cisco, the networking and communications company.
Surveys of senior-level IT managers have consistently found that security remains one of their top concerns, and vulnerabilities in computer software and application programmes remain the biggest threat organisations face today.
The number of mobile devices is also proliferating in businesses and is now the second-highest security concern within organisations, according to a report released earlier this year by Frost & Sullivan, market research firm.
Over the past week, a number of organisations have hosted roundtables in the Emirates discussing the latest in security threats. Here is some of their advice for how businesses in the region can protect themselves:
Build a culture of security
This starts with creating an awareness campaign to educate employees about security policies, says Mr Roggeband. "That's usually the weakest link in the chain," he adds. Many professionals aren't familiar with workplace policies for using certain sites on the internet.
For instance, 28 per cent of information security professionals globally report having no organisational restrictions on the use of social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube, despite the evidence of threats in this space, according to Frost & Sullivan's report, which surveyed more than 10,000 information security professionals from around the world.
"It's not just about the technology or the threats of cyber crime, but also about the policies," says Leon Shivamber, the managing director and vice president for the Middle East region of Harris Corporation, a communications and IT company.
Invest in a secure wall
Smaller companies normally don't have the right kinds of workers - either in terms of the overall number, or the required level of technical expertise - to warrant an in-house security team.
In these cases, experts advise turning to an internet service provider that specialises in online security or can offer different technologies such as virus-scanning software and filtering tools so workers don't unknowingly jump on to an infected website.
Some bigger businesses are now paying up for fancier features that instantaneously alert them of attacks and block them from spreading.
The latest, though sometimes costliest, technology is adaptive - "and not just reactive", says Mr Roggeband.
Secure mobile devices
Larger organisations should consider investing in technology that provides access codes for workers who want to connect to the internet on company devices such as laptops and tablets while off-site.
This can help protect against attacks on non-secure internet networks. Owners of smaller businesses should also be aware that their gadgets may be at risk, as employees increasingly use mobile devices to access company spreadsheets and data from home or while travelling. One tip: show employees how to log on to secure Wi-Fi connections.
Some experts say the threat of online attacks will only grow as so-called hackervists and viruses continue to spread to emerging markets, where the sales of mobile devices are growing rapidly. Data from Symantec shows that in the Middle East alone, more than 1,500 dangerous online bots were unleashed on to devices each day last year.
"Cyberspace is a borderless man-made domain," says Dale Meyerrose, the former chief information officer for the National Intelligence Community in the US.
