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CEOs ignore clear and present danger
Added: (Wed Oct 13 2004)
For Immediate Release
CEOs ignore clear and present danger
London, UK – October 12th, 2004
CEOs all over the world are routinely exposing themselves to legal action and possible class action lawsuits, as they fail to take seriously the risks presented by unplanned wireless computer networks, according to a survey by leading wireless security experts, Red-M.
As wireless technology becomes ever more pervasive the risk of uncontrolled deployments within business-critical networks increases. Karl Feilder, President and CEO of Red-M says that some company bosses have their heads in the sand about this issue.
In a survey of 100 companies, reported in June 2004, 80% of corporate networks were accessible from outside the building, using common computer equipment costing less than $100. It was also possible to read internal email from the car park in 33% of cases.
Following up from this survey, Red-M has contacted the organisations in question, and found that in the majority of cases no action is yet being taken. “Of 100 companies contacted at executive board level, less than 25% were aware of the possible risks, and even fewer had plans in place to deal with the threat,” according to Feilder “Legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II holds directors liable for the security of company information and to ignore the risk posed by the advent of wireless technology is almost a guarantee that your company information is not secure,” says Feilder.
John Pescatore, vice president of Gartner Group, recently advised businesses to make sure that employees or hackers don't install unauthorized wireless access points on the network. “Whether hackers are able to enter a company's Wireless Network (WLAN) through an unprotected Access Point or through a peer workstation, once they are associated with the network, they will be difficult to detect because they may not be visible in or near the network site.” Pescatore also stated that companies will get the most efficient WLAN intrusion detection protection from a vendor-independent dedicated sensor investment.
Red-M recommends that companies immediately review their IT security practices. "Take it as a given that you have wireless technology somewhere inside your building, whether by accident or design. Then define an airtight wireless security policy that balances the need for mobility and freedom with the imperatives of protecting data integrity. Wireless cannot be contained by physical boundaries and controlled by firewalls around a single entry point. Because it offers infinite entry points it requires nothing less than 24 x 7 vigilance."
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About Red-M
Red-M is the leading global provider of security and control products for all phases of wireless awareness and adoption. Red-M has raised the bar with every product it has released: Red-Alert, Red-Alert PRO, Red-Detect and Red-Vision. Red-M has won World Economic Forum technology pioneer status for 2004, it's third consecutive year to achieve this distinction. The company is backed by two of the world's leading venture capital firms: Apax Partners and Amadeus Capital Partners. Visit us at www.red-m.com