EDITOR’S QUESTION
IS IT BECOMING
EASIER FOR
CYBERCRIMINALS TO
ACCESS COMPANY
DATA?
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Ashraf Sheet, Regional
Director, Middle East and
Africa at Infoblox, says
companies can balance
giving employees the
freedom to use their
devices in the workplace
while ensuring the
network remains secure.
W
e are in the age of the ‘office of
the future’ – every company now
battles it out to attract staff and
clients by having the most fun office, with
the newest gadgets and apps. This has seen
countless consumer toys become ‘business
critical equipment.’ But has our love for
consumer technologies made this the easiest
time for cybercriminals to hack businesses?
In a word, yes. At Infoblox we recently
conducted a Shadow IoT research report,
34
INTELLIGENTCIO
entitled What is Lurking on Your Network,
that found fitness trackers, smart TVs,
virtual assistants and games consoles are
increasingly becoming part of the office
furniture. These devices open up a whole
new myriad of ways cybercriminals can
access company data.
These devices and consumer apps often make
their way on to company’s networks without
following the IT department’s guidelines.
This increases the potential for an attack.
We have previously seen personal devices
undergo numerous malware attacks, for
instance in 2017 McAfee researchers
identified 144 apps on the Google Play
store that contained a new malware strain,
Grabos. If this malware was downloaded on
the company network, it could lead to a data
breach disaster.
One option to avoid these breaches is to
block personal devices and using social
media in the work place. However, the fact
is, employees want to use their new gadgets
and access apps in the office and companies
want to entice new staff by allowing them.
Rather than restrict employees it is
important to educate them on what is likely
a phishing scam or a malware riddled piece
of software and help them become the first
line of defence.
Businesses can also ensure they are avoiding
major data breaches by having full visibility
over what devices are connected to their
network. Using systems that identify all
devices on the network at any given time,
like an IP address management system,
can provide real-time visibility of anything
connected to the company network.
They can also secure their network through
DNS security solutions that will alert them
of any new assets or devices that are joining
the system so they can identify and block
malicious activity quickly.
Personal devices and consumer apps aren’t
going to go away from the workplace. In
fact, each year a new device will be on trend
and people will immediately want it on
their desk. These will provide a whole new
host of ways that make it much easier for
cybercriminals to access company data.
We are essentially making it easier for them
each time we buy a new toy. But, the war is
not lost. With the right solutions companies
can get ahead of their staff and protect
networks no matter what new gadgets are
suddenly connected to them.
www.intelligentcio.com