Global Web 2.0 Report Released

Today, McAfee released a report based on a survey of more than 1,000 decision-makers about the use of Web 2.0 technology for business. The report reveals some interesting results (for example, who would have thought the United States is among the countries with the lowest adoption rate, and Germany is the country with the most companies not having policies governing the use of Web 2.0 in place?) and the unsurprising finding that security concerns are the greatest hindrance to adopting Web 2.0 and social networking.

Business leaders worldwide see the value of Web 2.0 in supporting productivity and driving new revenue, but they remain deeply concerned about security threats associated with deploying the technology. The survey of decision-makers in 17 countries found that half of businesses were concerned about the security of Web 2.0 applications such as social media, microblogging, collaborative platforms, web mail, and content-sharing tools. 60 percent were concerned about loss of reputation as a result of Web 2.0 misuse. Six out of ten organizations have already suffered losses averaging US$2 million, for a collective loss of more than US$1.1 billion in security-related incidents last year. Brazil, Spain, and India led in adoption of Web 2.0 technology for business, while adoption was lowest in Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The report, “Web 2.0: A Complex Balancing Act–The First Global Study on Web 2.0 Usage, Risks and Best Practices,” was commissioned by McAfee and authored by faculty affiliated with the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) at Purdue University in Indiana, examines the drivers for Web 2.0 and social networking use in business, and assesses their benefits and risks. Overall, the research highlights that although organizations see the potential value of Web 2.0 tools, decision makers continue to debate whether or how to allow employee usage of the technology in the workplace. “Web 2.0 technologies are impacting all aspects of the way businesses work,” said George Kurtz, chief technology officer for McAfee. “As Web 2.0 technologies gain popularity, organizations are faced with a choice: They can allow them to propagate unchecked, they can block them, or they can embrace them and the benefits they provide while managing them in a secure way.”

Key Report Findings:

• Web 2.0 adoption rates vary across countries. Overall, Web 2.0 adoption rates are high, reaching 90 percent or above in Brazil, Spain, and India. Adoption is lowest in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
• New revenue streams are the highest driver of Web 2.0 adoption. Three out of four organizations reported that expanded use of Web 2.0 technologies creates new revenue streams, while 40 percent said the tools have boosted productivity and enhanced effective marketing strategies.
• Security is the leading concern. Half of respondents named security as their primary concern for Web 2.0. One-third identified fear of security issues as the main reason Web 2.0 applications are not used more widely in their businesses. Companies’ top four perceived threats from employee use of Web 2.0 are malicious software (35 percent), viruses (15 percent), overexposure of information (11 percent), and spyware (10 percent).
• Reputation damage is the biggest business consequence. Sixty percent of companies reported that the most significant consequence from inappropriate Web 2.0 and social media usage is loss of reputation, brand, clients, or confidence. One-third of respondents reported unplanned investments related to workarounds related to social media in the workplace. Fourteen percent of organizations reported litigation or legal threats caused by employees disclosing confidential or sensitive information, with more than 60 percent of those threats caused by social media disclosures.
• Many businesses block Web 2.0 rather than put policies in place. Worldwide, 13 percent of organizations block all Web 2.0 activity, while 81 percent restrict the use of at least one Web 2.0 tool because they are concerned about security. Yet almost one-third of organizations reported that they do not have any social media policy in place. A quarter of organizations monitor how staff use social media and 66 percent have introduced social media policies, 71 percent of which use technology to enforce them.

Executives and industry experts who contributed to the research agreed that successful organizational use of Web 2.0 is a complex balancing act. Enterprises must analyze business challenges and opportunities while mitigating the risks and ensure staff training and robust technologies are in place to avoid cyberattacks.

“Web 2.0 and social networking technologies can be used effectively for business,” said Eugene H. Spafford, founder and Executive Director of CERIAS. “But to reap the benefits of Web 2.0, organizations must be proactive about understanding and managing the challenges. That involves putting the right policies in place, and deploying the technology that can enforce those policies.”

McAfee will host a webcast, “Bridging the Web 2.0 Security Gap,” on October 6 at 2 p.m. Eastern time, with Chenxi Wang of Forrester Research. This webcast will cover a recent Forrester Web 2.0 security trends study commissioned by McAfee. The session will help educate enterprise users on protecting their businesses while successfully using Web 2.0 technologies.

“Web 2.0: A Complex Balancing Act–The First Global Study on Web 2.0 Usage, Risks and Best Practices” is available for download at www.mcafee.com.

Tags: Email & Web Security