Business Considerations

If you're responsible for IT and security issues in a small to medium size business, you're not alone feeling like you're on a treadmill that's moving faster and faster. Who can possibly keep up with the rapid changes in technology and new and exotic security threats - let alone the pressures of increasing data mobility and a down economy?

The Shifting Cybercrime Threat

The escalating threat landscape and the need to protect an increasing complex environment are causing real problems for IT organizations across the board. Kaspersky Lab is responding with highly advanced solutions to combat these problems. Our vision and strategy transcends organizational size to provide a unique blend of the finest and broadest malware protection.

Cybercriminal expansion is leveraging every possible vector today to spread malicious content: email, web content, social media, 3rd party application vulnerabilities, among many others. As a result, companies must consider all threat vectors and provide real protection at every layer of the enterprise. A layered malware protection strategy is rarely considered. Many companies today consider malware protection to be simply a commoditized purchase, a security technology required for compliance purposes and, at best, procured for the lowest possible price.

An Explosion in Attacks

In 2009 we witnessed exponential growth in malware proliferation around the world. Over 30,000 new threats hit the wire each day requiring more than 3,500 new malware signatures being released daily by anti-malware companies. 2010 has been no different. In Q1 of 2010 there were over 327 million infection attempts from over 119 million malware hosting servers found on the Internet. According to IBM, the first half of 2010 saw a 36% spike in malware when compared to last year, with more than 10 million new pieces of malware released into "the wild."

So Many New Devices to Protect

Data is the primary target for cybercrime today. Yet, data no longer resides solely in the mainframe or protected server farm. To respond, organizations must have premium protection wherever data resides, resulting normally in higher management overhead and resource strain. Protection is required for systems inside the protective confines of the corporate perimeter, but also for mobile devices, laptops and smart phones, that carry proprietary company data. In fact, Forrester Research's Survey found that the adoption of smart phones and Web-based applications and services represent the two greatest concerns for IT security today.

Balancing Productivity, Compliance, and Finance

Giving employees the flexibility to work more efficiently nearly always comes at some cost to IT, both in terms of general support and in managing the security risk. Add to that the proliferation of industry-specific security and reporting requirements - CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act), HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards), and more. Suddenly, the IT workload has exploded. Yet, most CFO's remain suspicious of increases in IT security spending, and may instead look to reduce costs just like in so many other areas of the business.