Survey Finds Nearly One in Three Organizations Do Not Have Web Monitoring or Filtering Solutions in Place
GFI Software, a leading IT solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, advises enterprise IT administrators to be aware of the potential threats users can introduce onto their company network while engaging in online shopping on Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season. A survey from GFI entitled “Web Filtering in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)” reveals that nearly one in three organizations (30.1%) do not have a web monitoring or filtering solution in place to monitor HTTP traffic, leaving their company’s assets potentially exposed to web-based threats, including malware and Trojans. To help enterprises combat the online threats they face during this period, GFI is offering special pricing incentives now through the end of the year on its award-winning antivirus solution, VIPRE® Antivirus Business.
GFI’s survey of more than 600 SMEs also revealed that:
- Nearly two-thirds of the SMEs that do NOT have a web filtering security solution in place reported experiencing a malware or virus attack via downloaded files;
- 85% of those who use web filtering/security solutions allow employees to surf the Internet for personal reasons during office hours; and
- One of every five SMEs do NOT have an Acceptable Use Policy for internet usage
With 85 percent of SMEs allowing their employees to surf the internet during work hours - many without acceptable use policies in place to enforce appropriate browsing - enterprises will be particularly vulnerable during the holiday shopping season, when e-commerce skyrockets. Not only will businesses lose some productivity due to “cyber-slacking,” with employees spending work hours shopping online, but hackers take advantage of online users through SEO search poisoning, malware on social networks, and other methods of social engineering to infect a system.
In an effort to raise awareness of the increased online risks and to help protect enterprises, GFI is offering special limited-time pricing incentives on its top-selling high-performance security solution, VIPRE Antivirus Business. Now through December 31, 2010, any enterprise that replaces their current antivirus solution with VIPRE Business and signs a three-year contract will receive a fourth year for free. To request a quote for your organization, please visit http://info.sunbeltsoftware.com/Buy3Promo-VIPRE-Business.html.
GFI Software also offers a web monitoring and filtering tool called GFI WebMonitor™ which boosts employee productivity by providing complete Internet access control to monitor what users are browsing and downloading in real-time. This lowers the risk of social engineering by blocking access to phishing websites through the use of an auto-updatable database of phishing URLs.
“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a profitable time for both retailers and potentially cyber criminals,” said Alex Eckelberry, general manager, GFI Software, Security Business Unit. “Cyber criminals are out there, attempting to trick users into clicking links which will either load malicious malware or spyware or take them to a fraudulent website – potentially compromising personal or corporate information.. Organizations should review security policies and appropriate web use guidelines with employees and where possible, employ a combination of antivirus and web filtering solutions.”
About GFI
GFI Software provides web and mail security, archiving and fax, networking and security software and hosted IT solutions for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via an extensive global partner community. GFI products are available either as on-premise solutions, in the cloud or as a hybrid of both delivery models. With award-winning technology, a competitive pricing strategy, and a strong focus on the unique requirements of SMEs, GFI satisfies the IT needs of organisations on a global scale. The company has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Austria, Australia, Malta, Hong Kong, Philippines and Romania, which together support hundreds of thousands of installations worldwide. GFI is a channel-focused company with thousands of partners throughout the world and is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.