57 pc Indian enterprises under virus attack: Survey

Mumbai, May 20: Around 57 per cent of the Indian enterprises are under attack from undesirable mails and spams which threaten their web security, according to a study by web-based agency Websence.

Keeping information and infrastructure secure is a problem which recurs very often in the guise of new and smart attackers. And it is a tough task for the security chiefs to stay that one step ahead.

The survey, which took samples from 450 CIOs, found that 57 per cent organisations had received viruses and worms into their corporate network which hampered their day-to-day functions, resulting in financial loss.

In the survey, many CIOs felt that employees of these enterprises expose their corporate networks to security threats which include free software downloads, use of instant messegaing tools, proxy avoidance sites, visiting malicious sites and pop ups.

Chennai-based IT organisations were the most affected among the Indian cities surveyed with just under a half having been hit by spyware attacks.

The survey is an eye opener for the small and medium type enterprises.

As Web-based threats have shifted away from traditional attacks focused on software vulnerabilities to so-called zero day exploits aimed at previously unidentified flaws, traditional anti-virus and intrusion detection technologies have left users with inadequate protection, Websense said.

Mr Srikiran Raghavan, Regional Sales Head, RSA Security Division, said virus threats and spam will continue to be areas of traditional concern for 2007.

''But the areas to watch out for include the growing menace of phishing and pharming that can potentially cause monetary loss, and more importantly identity theft,'' he added.

According to Capt Raghu Raman, Chief Executive Officer, Mahindra Special Services Group, spam mails would continue to be the major concern but will be much more sophisticated. Perpetrators will choose victims with more care and customisation.

Mr Niraj Kaushik of Trend Micro notes that in 2007, users can expect Web threats to emerge as the prevailing security threat. Web threats include a broad array of threats originating on the Internet, and are typically blended threats that use a combination of files and threats. Web threats will impact consumers and corporations alike through confidential information leakage, identity theft and the like.

''Whereas in the past, we experienced widespread mass-infections, now we see smaller-scope regional outbreaks. These targeted attacks have more specific objectives and they are more difficult to eradicate,'' he added.

UNI