Internet Doomsday...or is it?
Internet Doomsday may be a phrase you’ve heard in the press recently. The rather ominous sounding day is set for 9th July. But what is it actually referring to? Is someone going to pull the plug on the internet? Well not exactly but there is a lot of concern surrounding a certain virus called DNS Changer.
The virus first appeared in 2007 and infected more than 500,000 PCs and Macs. The reason the virus has caused particular concern is because it hijacks the computer without the user’s knowledge. In November last year, the FBI put a stop to the virus with a clever computer website that would check whether your device was infected or not. This “DNS checker page” has helped wipe out the virus but with costs mounting up to tens of thousands of dollars, the FBI has decided to pull the plug. Unfortunately this could leave tens of thousands of devices infected and without internet access, 20,000 of these are in the UK. From July 9th users will no longer be able to use the DNS checker website and it’s been dubbed internet doomsday.
So how can you protect your business from worrying cyber attacks? Aside from having strong firewalls in place, the first step is to make sure all sensitive data is being stored appropriately. A recent survey we carried out shows that, worryingly, more than 14 percent of businesses are exploring using consumer data transfer services such as Google Drive and Dropbox for sensitive company information. These just don’t cut the mustard when it comes to enterprise level security. Instead businesses should look to invest in rigorously tested enterprise cloud services, designed to deliver the maximum security and service levels required.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has also set alarm bells ringing for IT managers. Now less than half of companies want personal devices connecting to the company network due to security risks. But with a secure network and updated security policies in place, there’s no reason staff shouldn’t be able to enjoy working on the go with the technology they’re familiar with.
Unfortunately cyber threats now represent a very real threat to enterprises. But it’s all about managing risk and being smart with your data. There’s no room to cut corners with corporate data, but with the right technology, enterprises can store their data safely and still save on costs.
