UK businesses 'risk their IT security'

News Article - 24 May 2012
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Half of Britain's businesses are putting their IT systems at risk, a study by a consultancy firm has shown.

The research, conducted by NCC Group, found that after anonymously sending 500 financial directors USB memory sticks, along with an invitation to a fictitious party, 47 per cent inserted the devices into their computer, reports IT Week.

By putting the gadget into a PC, the financiers risked exposing their computers to Trojan software, which has the potential to infect the machine, the company's head of penetration testing, Paul Vlissidis, stated.

"It indicates that awareness levels are still very low and that the more senior you get in an organisation, the worse people get," he said.

Mr Vlissidis added that companies may benefit from installing lockdowns for USB ports, however he warned that businesses had a long way to go, stating that awareness was the last line of defence.

Earlier this week it was announced that around 300,000 computers had been infected by malicious software dubbed the Storm Worm, marking the worst outbreak of malware since 2005, reports have suggested.

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