Security Risks Grow with Emerging Technologies

Security risks grow as businesses rush to adopt emerging technologies

RSAreleased two new research studies that examine the far-reachingsecurity implications of promising technologies such as cloudcomputing, virtualization, social networking and mobile communications,and explore the pivotal business risks and rewards they represent toorganizations worldwide.

The first research study - conducted by IDG Research Services - revealsa significant gap between the speed at which organizations are adoptingnew connectivity, collaboration and communication technologies andtheir readiness to deploy them securely.

The second study, from RSA'sSecurity for Business Innovation Council, outlines how companies cancapitalize on the significant business advantages these newtechnologies represent without putting their organizations at risk.

"Businesses are becoming 'hyper-extended enterprises,' exchanginginformation with more constituencies in more ways and in more placesthan ever before," said Art Coviello, Executive Vice President, EMCCorporation and President, RSA, The Security Division of EMC. "Therapid adoption of nascent web, social and mobile technologies combinedwith the rising use of outsourcing is quickly dissolving what remainsof the traditional boundaries around our organizations and informationassets. Security strategies must shift dramatically to ensure companiescan achieve their goals to cut costs and meet revenue targets withoutcreating dangerous new business vulnerabilities."

Commissioned by RSA, a 2009 IDG Research Services survey of 100 topsecurity executives at companies with revenues of $1 billion or moreshowed that some companies are so enthusiastic about the potential ofnew web and mobile technologies, they are deploying them withoutadequately securing critical processes and data.

Study findings are summarized in the IDG Research Services white paper, "As Hyper-Extended Enterprises Grow, So Do Security Risks".

Also today, RSA released the results of its fourth Security for Business Innovation Council report, "Charting the Path: Enabling the "Hyper-Extended" Enterprise in the Face of Unprecedented Risk."In this report, top security leaders from around the globe explore howsecurity strategies must transform in a world in which well-intentionedactions to drive new business value could open up disastrous riskexposures.

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