Friday, 8 December 2006

Internet 'Security Incidents' Cross 1.5 bln a day, Verisign

VeriSign of the US, which manages the '.com' and '.net' domain names registry to network security and connectivity, said the occurrences of 'security incidents' or malpractices on the internet have reached 1.5 bln a day, and the number is rising further.

Addressing security, fraud and related problems on the internet will require multi-faceted, concerted and sustained efforts by companies and industry bodies in the telecom and internet world, according to a panel of speakers at the ITU Telecom World trade show. Neil McGowan, executive vice president of Verisign Communications Services, said the starting point for companies should always be to ensure that their online systems are secure even as they should also be flexible and simple to meet security challenges.

The European Commission (EC) is taking procative steps as it has given Symantec a fund to pay for research into securing e-mail infrastructures from Spam and phishing. Along with several other major corporations and research institutions, Symantec forms part of the EU's AntiPhish consortium.

The goal of the three-year AntiPhish project is to develop antiphishing technologies that help to protect and secure the global e-mail infrastructure. With this goal, AntiPhish targets the Information Society Technologies Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) objective aimed at forming a global dependability and security framework, Syamntec said.

On the other hand, figures from Sophos' quarterly Dirty Dozen list of the top 12 sending-sending nations were used to point the finger at EU member states failing to prevent sending originating within their borders—France, Spain, Poland, Italy and Germany are all in the top ten in the latest list. The report also quotes figures from Symantec and MessageLabs, estimating that sending makes up between 54 per cent and 85 per cent of all e-mail, and discusses the rise of serious crime in relation to sending and malware, with fraud, spyware and phishing described as growing problems jeopardising legitimate online business.

Sophos recommends that computer users ensure they keep their security software up-to-date, as well as using a properly configured firewall and installing the latest operating system security patches. Businesses must also look to implement a best practice policy regarding e-mail account usage.