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Social Networks Jeopardize Businesses

A new study released by CA (the former Computer Associates) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) has found that social-networking sites are optional way for hackers to access corporate IT databases and platforms, this way risking businesses with malicious cyber attacks. The main reason for that is because most of the people access these sites from their work computers. The executive director of NCSA Ron Texeria stated: "We are already seeing hackers take advantage of community Web sites".

Not only the businesses are jeopardized, but individual users as well are not safe in terms of theft of personal information. CA`s vice president of threat management Sam Curry explains: "Just as terrorists look for the most number of victims by accessing aggregation points, malware writers look for that same in, on the Internet. The numbers in the study point to behaviors that easily infect computers."

It was shown in the study that almost half of the adult social network users are between the ages of 18 and 34, and around 53 percent are older than 35 years. Out of those who can access the Web from work, 46 percent use social network sites there. This way the workplace is being open for different kinds of online safety intimidation. The study was thrown among around 2,000 people over 18 years old.