Processing .....please wait.. 
The article has been forwarded.... 
News >> Technology >>
Employees online shopping to hamper business
By siliconindia
|
Friday, 12 November 2010, 17:02 IST
Bangalore: The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) found that workers are leaving their employers open to cyber attacks and malware infection because they use computing equipment provided by the company to carry out online shopping and access social networking sites.
Its annual survey into the seasonal shopping habits of employees found that in Britain alone employers will spend an average of six of their working hours buying Christmas gifts over the internet this year, compared with 14 last year.
There are fears among the experts that cybercriminals will take advantage of this influx of shoppers using work computers to create targeted spam campaigns and phishing sites, which will allow them to penetrate corporate networks with spyware and steal valuable data from employees and their employers.
ISACA analyst, John Prionti, said that if malware gets into a business network it can cost tens of thousands of pounds to eradicate and leave data exposed which can, in turn, lose the firm custom.
However, the group warns that the security risks this year are greater due to more people using wireless technology such as netbooks and smartphones. Firms who loan their workers such gadgets may find that security threats mount when the devices are used outside of the protected corporate network, the group claims.