* IBM and Akonix separately look at messaging security problems
IBM recently revealed what it discovered about messaging security during 2004, while Akonix made some predictions about what we can expect this year.
Of the 147 billion of customers’ e-mail messages that IBM reviewed during 2004, 6% contained a virus, a 12-fold increase compared to just two years earlier. Plus, IBM says the number of known computer viruses grew by more than 28,000 during 2004, while fewer than 4,600 new viruses were revealed during 2002.
IBM found that spam represented 95% of all e-mail traffic during peak periods and that the number of phishing attempts grew by 5,000% during 2004.
Looking ahead, Akonix says IM-borne virus and malware attacks will grow by more than three times during 2005 and “the first widespread damage from a major IM attack will hit corporate networks worldwide.”
Akonix also believes the SEC this year will levy the first major fine for failure to adequately maintain IM records (the SEC has fined multiple financial institutions for their failure to adequately maintain e-mail-based records).
As I see it, the key takeaway from this particularly gloomy news is that messaging of all types – e-mail, IM, VoIP and traditional telephony – must be given the highest priority for protection by an organization.
It is not just IT’s job to keep the plumbing operational; rather, it is the entire organization’s job to make sure that messaging managers are given the budget they need to be as proactive as possible in thwarting messaging threats, maintaining adequate records-retention policies and practices, enabling secure messaging capabilities and so forth. Messaging systems are under attack by creeps and scoundrels of every type and they are getting more prolific and bolder with each passing month. Only by giving messaging managers the resources they need can e-mail, IM and telephony continue to be useful tools in the workplace.
