Cisco Annual Security Report: Threats Step Out of the Shadows Research Reveals Mainstream Threats That Are Magnified by the Worlds Next Generation of Workers Online Behavior
Ciscos John N. Stewart, senior vice president, chief security officer, Global Government and Corporate Security, on Information Security: Understanding a Global Picture in a Local Context
Cisco today released findings from two global studies that provide a vivid picture of the rising security challenges that businesses, IT departments and individuals face, particularly as employees become more mobile in blending work and personal lifestyles.
Android malware grew substantially faster than any other form of web-delivered malware, an important trend given that Android is reported to hold the majority of mobile device market share worldwide.
CISCO LIVE; LONDON January 30, 2013 Cisco today released findings from two global studies that provide a vivid picture of the rising security challenges that businesses, IT departments and individuals face, particularly as employees become more mobile in blending work and personal lifestyles throughout their waking hours.
Despite popular assumptions that security risks increase as a persons online activity becomes shadier, findings from Ciscos 2013 Annual Security Report (ASR) reveal that the highest concentration of online security threats do not target pornography, pharmaceutical or gambling sites as much as they do legitimate destinations visited by mass audiences, such as major search engines, retail sites and social media outlets. In fact, Cisco found that online shopping sites are 21 times as likely, and search engines are 27 times as likely, to deliver malicious content than a counterfeit software site. Viewing online advertisements? Advertisements are 182 as times likely to deliver malicious content than pornography.
Security risks rise in businesses because many employees adopt "my way" work lifestyles in which their devices, work and online behavior mix with their personal lives virtually anywhere in the office, at home and everywhere in between. The business security implications of this "consumerization" trend are magnified by a second set of findings from the Cisco Connected World Technology Report (CCWTR), which provides insight into the attitudes of the worlds next generation of workers, Generation Y. According to the study, most Generation Y employees believe the age of privacy is over (91%), but one third say that they are not worried about all the data that is stored and captured about them. They are willing to sacrifice personal information for socialization online. In fact, more Generation Y workers globally said they feel more comfortable sharing personal information with retail sites than with their own employers IT departments departments that are paid to protect employee identities and devices.
As Generation Y graduates from college and enters the workforce in greater numbers, they test corporate cultures and policies with expectations of social media freedom, device choice, and mobile lifestyles that the generations before them never demanded. As the first chapter of the Connected World Technology Report indicated in December, Gen Y is constantly checking social media, email and text updates, whether its in bed (3 of 4 surveyed globally), at the dinner table (almost half), in the bathroom (1 of 3), or driving (1 of 5). That lifestyle is entering work environments in greater numbers, spotlighting the future of work and how companies must consider competing for the next wave of talent. Unfortunately, what the security studies show is the next-generation workforces lifestyles are also introducing security challenges that companies have never had to address on this scale.
Key Findings
Android Malware
Android malware encounters grew 2,577 percent over 2012. (ASR)
However, mobile malware represents only 0.5 percent of total Web malware encounters. (ASR)
These trends become especially significant considering the smartphone is the No.1 device among Gen Y workers over laptops, PCs and tablets (CCWTR)
Web Malware Encounters by Country
In 2012, there was significant change in the global landscape of where users encountered Web malware. China dropped from being the second-most malware-stricken country in 2011 to the sixth spot last year. Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark and Sweden, experienced greater numbers of Web malware encounters, climbing the world ranking to the third and fourth spots, respectively. The United States retained the top spot with 33 percent of the worlds Web malware encounters. (ASR)
United States
33.14%
Russian Federation
9.79%
Denmark
9.55%
Sweden
9.27%
Germany
6.11%
China
5.65%
United Kingdom
4.07%
Turkey
2.63%
Netherlands
2.27%
Ireland
1.95%
Spam Trends
Spam volume dropped 18 percent from 2011to 2012, with spammers working "bankers hours" for a 25 percent drop in spam over the weekend. (ASR)
In 2012, the majority of spam was sent during the workweek Tuesday was the heaviest spam day of the year. (ASR)
India is the top source of spam worldwide, with the U.S. moving from sixth in 2011 to second in 2012. Korea, China and Vietnam round out the top five. (ASR)
The top spoofed brands involve prescription drugs like Viagra and Cialis and luxury watches like Rolex and Omega. (ASR)
Spammers maximize the ROI of their efforts, targeting real-world events with specific and short-lived campaigns. (ASR)
January-March: Windows software, which coincided with the release of the Microsoft Windows 8 consumer preview.
February-April: Tax software during U.S. tax season.
January-March and September-December: Professional networks like LinkedIn, correlated with the desire for a career change during thebeginning and end of the year.
September-November: Cel
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Cisco Annual Security Report: Threats Step Out of the Shadows Research Reveals Mainstream Threats That Are Magnified by the Worlds Next Generation of Workers Online Behavior 
