Survey: Companies Believe Opening Network Poses Bigger Risk Of Data Breach

IT departments are under pressure to make corporate networks more accessible to remote workers and a range of external users despite fears over the increased threat of data leaks, malicious content and hacking that this entails, according to new research.

Ninety-one percent of the 381 UK and North American IT executives polled in the survey by AEP Networks admitted there is a bigger risk of sensitive data being exposed to ‘unauthorized eyes' when networks are made accessible to remote workers and external users such as contractors, partners and customers.

Eighty-nine percent highlighted the greater threat of malicious content such as viruses because of wider network accessibility and 85 percent noted the increased possibility of hacking. But this opening up of the network is fast becoming inevitable, with 97 percent agreeing that today's networks are more accessible to a variety of internal and external users and devices than five years ago. 94 percent either already allow or plan to allow access to remote workers while a large number already permit or plan to permit access to the following types of user:

  • Suppliers/partners (39 percent).
  • Company guests/visitors (28 percent).
  • Outsourced workers (36 percent).
  • Contract staff (57 percent).
  • External IT support and maintenance (59 percent).
  • Customers (32 percent).

The results illustrate the dilemma faced by many IT departments today as Reginald Best, CEO of AEP Networks explained.

“On the one hand, IT is rightly under pressure to open the network door to partners, suppliers and customers to improve efficiency and enhance business processes,” Best said. “On the flip-side, they're sweating over how to prevent unauthorized access, protect company information and deflect malicious attacks.”

With so many different types of user coming onto the network, many IT departments are addressing fears over increased security risks by investing in new technology. The major areas for IT security budget increases over the next 12 months include secure remote access, mentioned by 48 percent of the survey, network access control (NAC) (41 percent), identity-based network security solutions (37 percent) and encryption (35 percent).

Many of these investments will help, but what's also needed is a clear, underpinning strategy according to Best, whose company has its roots in secure remote access and encryption systems for government and is now increasingly focusing on a new approach to security based on policy networking.

Technologies need to be tied together under a policy driven network security strategy. This policy networking model argues for a suite of solutions which interact with existing network systems to enforce rules and policies controlling who and what can be admitted to the network and the resources and information they're allowed to access.

“What systems should specific types of remote workers be allowed to access? What should you do about visitors who don't have the required antivirus on their machines but need to work on your network? And what about providing a safe level of access to users who want to log in from third party locations such as Internet cafés? How does the organization track and audit access? These are the types of issues for which organizations need to develop policies,” Best said.

Once there is agreement on these areas, the various components of the policy networking environment can interact with existing directories and authentication systems to verify users' identities and rules governing their access to the network. Those that don't fit with policy or display offending behavior might be put into quarantine, given a lesser degree of access, or denied access altogether.

“It effectively allows you to ‘shut the network door' to anything that appears undesirable,” Best said.

Featured

  • Data Driven, Proactive Response

    As cities face rising demands for smarter policing and faster emergency response, Real Time Crime Centers (RTCCs) are emerging as essential hubs for data-driven public safety. In this interview, two experts with deep field experience — Ross Bourgeois of New Orleans and Dean Cunningham of Axis Communications — draw on decades of operational, leadership and technology expertise to share how RTCCs are transforming public safety through innovation, interagency collaboration and a relentless focus on community impact. Read Now

  • Integration Imagination: The Future of Connected Operations

    Security teams that collaborate cross-functionally and apply imagination and creativity to envision and design their ideal integrated ecosystem will have the biggest upside to corporate security and operational benefits. Read Now

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.