Top 10 Security Stories Of 2010

By Alison Diana 12/23/2010 As smartphones and tablets complement and battle with notebooks and PCs as routes to the connected world, as corporate users and consumers turn to both traditional Web sites and newer social networking sites to communicate, share ideas, trade business concepts, and shop, corporate IT professionals and the government organizations overseeing the nation's cybersecurity are all-too aware they must do more. And they must do it fast. Recognizing this, the federal government hopes to create a new wave of cybersecurity educational and certification programs in order to form the next, much-needed workforce. And law enforcement agencies around the world are becoming more adept at working cooperatively to combat the growing number, complexity, and sophistication of cyber criminals that pursue money and power through their creation of malware and network destruction. This teamwork already has brought down some botnet gangs in different nations.

Insider Threats

At all-too many companies, the number of insiders may have decreased in a year that saw headcounts drop and unemployment numbers steadily rise. Those still employed may have more reasons than ever to be dissatisfied -- more hours, less pay, heavier workloads and fewer, if any, perks. As a result, businesses should remain vigilant about the ongoing likelihood of having their data or network stolen or destroyed from within. A former IT director in Virginia, for example, was sentenced to 27 months and $6,700 in restitution after pleading guilty to intentionally damaging a protected computer without authorization. Ignorant and lazy users also are to blame, especially in an era of social networking and tweeting. After all, social networking sites generally have minimal password security checks, giving determined outsiders' the ability to access the company network.

Vendors are reshaping the ways in which they work. The last 12 months saw a number of large acquisitions within the security space, and the coming months will demonstrate the success -- or failure -- of those ventures. Developers and the industry at-large also must grapple with the entire concept of updating in the case of software vulnerability; without guidelines, there's a risk it could be used, or at least be perceived as being used, as a political or competitive tool, not the customer-oriented tool it was designed as. While crystal balls generally are cloudy and difficult to read, IT security prognosticators generally are accurate: The need for security will only grow. And the challenges associated with maintaining and enhancing the safety of the corporate network will only increase.

SEE ALSO:

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Database Admin Gets 12 Months For Hacking Employer

Former IT Director Imprisoned For Hacking Employer's Servers

DARPA Developing Tech To Stop Insider Threats

25% Of Malware Spread Via USB Drives

DARPA Soliciting Bids On Insider Threat Prevention