NA checks up on network health

Security software vendor Network Associates has commissioned research which it claims will help ebusinesses reduce the threat of security breaches and internal systems failure.

Security software vendor Network Associates (NA) has commissioned research which it claims will help ebusinesses reduce the threat of security breaches and internal systems failure.

The company said that chief executives are failing to control important security issues, which are ultimately placing ebusinesses at risk.

NA, which manufactures SecureCast, Sniffer, VirusScan and Magic Solution software, commissioned the research from Vanson Bourne, which it said revealed "widespread ignorance towards e-security, and a lack of basic IT skills that could cripple the development of ebusiness across Britain".

The research, called the NA Healthcheck, studied problems suffered by companies it claims are "denying firms the opportunities provided by the internet economy".

Sarah Whipp, worldwide channel and Europe, Middle East & Africa retail marketing manager at NA, said: "Our research is an X-ray of UK ebusiness."

Companies are embracing internet technology, she explained, but by identifying the weak spots with the Healthcheck research, NA can "provide solutions that will make it more secure, more robust and, ultimately, more profitable", she said.

By reading the research, Whipp added, businesses can find remedies to help reduce the threat of network crashes and improve their overall network performance.

More than 120 heads of communications and corporate networks across the country were polled for the research, which revealed that 30 per cent of companies experience a network crash at least once every 12 weeks, and 23 per cent have suffered critical data corruption from virus attacks.

According to the results, almost half of the respondents believed that security fears hamper ebusiness development, and only 34 per cent were satisfied with their current antivirus measures.