Increased use of network-connected consoles in break and waiting areas heightens chances of DDoS and phishing attacks
Marlow, UK – April 14, 2010 – Sunbelt Software, a provider of Windows security software, today unveiled the startling results of its study into the use of games consoles in the workplace, revealing that 39% had no idea about any of the documented threats that relate to online console gaming including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, phishing and social engineering.
The study, based on responses from 200 senior IT figures in public and private sector organisations around the globe, found that 80% of those questioned said their organisations keep no record of who uses the games consoles within the workplace, making it almost impossible to track down the source of any data leaks or brand-damaging in-game behaviour that might take place via services such as Xbox Live and PlayStation.
Console users participating in online play risk exposing both their IP address, increasing the risk of that address being targeted for DDoS attacks designed to cripple the target’s internet connection. Such attacks, which can render the organisation’s connection unusable, are frequently used by opportunist criminals and disgruntled players. Innocent players in the workplace are also potential targets for social engineering and phishing scams intent on extracting usernames, passwords and other sensitive data from users via chat forums, in-game speech and email.
“There are benefits to having games consoles in the workplace, as they can boost morale by providing staff with a fun diversion during lunch and other break periods, while consoles in lobby and waiting areas help convey a sense of a modern, fun and tech-savvy organisation,” said Chris Boyd, senior threat researcher at Sunbelt Software.
“However, these benefits must be weighed against the business implications of a threat, such as a DDoS attack, which can harm productivity significantly. In most cases, the most practical option for an organisation is to disconnect consoles from the internet and use them for offline play only,” Boyd added.
The survey found that the Nintendo Wii was the most popular choice for organisations wanting to place a games console in the workplace, with 47.9% of respondents having deployed one. The Xbox 360 came second with 40.4% while just 11.7% of respondents had a PlayStation 3 in the workplace.
More examples of threats to enterprise networks and users can be found on the Sunbelt Blog at http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/xbox-live-director-a….
Last month, Sunbelt Software released VIPRE 4, a major evolution of its performance-optimised anti-malware technology. VIPRE 4 brings together a powerful new firewall, Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) and Intrusion Detection System (IDS) functionality, along with an entirely new framework for managing enterprise endpoints. The latest version maintains Sunbelt Software’s intense focus on performance and customer experience and is the key foundation to Sunbelt Software’s anti-malware strategy.
About Sunbelt Software
Headquartered in Tampa Bay (Clearwater), Fla., Sunbelt Software was founded in 1994 and is a leading provider of Windows security software including enterprise antivirus, antispyware, email security, and malware analysis tools. Leading products include the VIPRE® and CounterSpy® product lines, Sunbelt Exchange Archiver™, CWSandbox™, and ThreatTrack™.
For more information about Sunbelt Software, please visit the company’s website at: http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com. To learn more about current activities, products, and ideas at Sunbelt Software, please visit Sunbelt’s corporate blog at http://www.sunbeltblog.com. To view this release online, go to
http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Press/Releases/?id=349.
Contacts
Martin Brindley
Davies Murphy Group
+44 1256 807360
sunbelt@daviesmurphy.com
www.daviesmurphy.com
Laurie Murrell
Sunbelt Software
+1-727-562-0101
lauriem@sunbeltsoftware.com
www.sunbeltsoftware.com
Copyright © 2010 Sunbelt Software. All rights reserved. All trademarks used are owned by their respective companies. – Chris Green 14-04-2010
Authors bio is coming up shortly.