Nigel Hawthorn

Ninety two per cent of IT directors can’t be wrong. That’s the overwhelming majority of high-ranking IT professionals that see spyware as more than a nuisance to enterprises [Web@Work research, 2004]. Estimates even put the number of desktops affected by spyware as high as 90 per cent [US National Cyber Security Alliance].

The internet plays a prevailing role in today’s workplace, and its use continues to grow - from personal web-based email, to the growing popularity of public instant messaging (IM). Despite the benefits the web provides for employees, including convenience and accessibility, its use has opened a back door for viruses to bypass existing email anti-virus security measures and infect the network.

It is one of the old security adages that the nature of the threats to networks are ever-changing.