Internet facing ‘meltdown’ by 2010

It has been claimed that the internet is running too much data on too little infrastructure. As a result there could be a dramatic slowdown by 2010 as the sheer scale of data exceeds the ability of the networks to cope.

The conclusions come from the Nemertes Research Group who have spent the past year analysing data flows over the internet and the core infrastructure that carries that information. Their conclusion is that that serious bottlenecks will occur in three to five years.

“Our findings indicate that core fibre and switching/routing resources will scale nicely to support virtually any conceivable user demand. However internet access infrastructure will cease to be adequate for supporting demand within the next three to five years.” Say the reports authors.

“I don’t think that the report’s authors are suggesting that the entire internet will collapse by 2010, but business owners are ever more reliant on broadband technology” comments Derrick Cameron MD of IT firm Eximium. “If access times and bandwidth constraints fall to the levels predicted it is bound to have an effect on innovation”

E-commerce will also be hit hard as access times will be erratic, and customers will be turned off and less able to make purchases. “As business owners and as consumers we have quickly become used to all the advantages the internet can offer. As a result it has become an integral part of most business models and the future of the economy. If the reports findings are accurate, then action needs to be taken sooner rather than later” adds Cameron.

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Firms should think about email leaks

Around half of all employees have sent emails to the wrong person. In a month dominated with news headlines over missing data on disc, a new report shows that misfiring e-mails can cause serious problems for leaked data. Businesses are increasingly concerned about sensitive company information being leaked by email.

Research conducted by IT security firm Sophos has highlighted the problem and concludes that half of all employees have admitted to sending an embarrassing or sensitive email to the wrong person. The potential level of trouble for a company is high because as much as 80 per cent of a company’s business records are contained in emails.

“As more and more business and personal interaction is conducted via work email, the risk of clicking send without double-checking the recipient’s details is growing,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

“I think most people have experienced that heart-stopping moment when they realise that their message is heading towards the wrong person. I received an e-mail last week revealing an MD of a company has serious mental issues verging on a breakdown. The e-mail was rapidly recalled but by that time I had read it and the damage could have been serious” says Derrick Cameron MD of IT firm Eximium “Technology can make human error faster and more damaging”

There is now technology which scans messages for sensitive data and keywords, and that uses encryption to ensure that business critical emails are sent securely. “Most data leakage on email is accidental and not malicious. Companies should put a solid security policy in place, and educate employees on how to use email with care. Whilst this won’t eliminate the problem, it will reduce the number of red faces experienced in 2008” says Cameron.

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Security experts forecast stormy 2008

Malware is set for record year as internet users are likely to see continued attacks in 2008. The Storm malware started attacking users in January 2007 and the code has now been released in many variations. The fear is that the team behind it will carry out further attacks, and that its success will prompt others to try and cash in.

“2007 was the year of prolific cyber-crime, and certain gangs became famous within the security industry,” said Mark Sunner, chief security analyst at MessageLabs. “Their notoriety encourages an influx of new players wanting their slice of success, and the threat market is set to be even larger in 2008.”

“I hope it doesn’t happen, but an increase will also reflect in the techniques adopted by the bad guys. The main weakness of cyber-crime is predictability so repeat attacks will be avoided at all costs” comments Derrick Cameron from IT firm Eximium.

So far instant messaging spam, which was predicted to rise sharply this year, has so far failed to become a serious problem. However, this is likely to change in 2008 as spammers send out messages in blocks of a few hundred, waiting to see if a response is made, and then repeating as necessary.

“Spammers will need to try new tactics because spam effectiveness rates are falling due to better filtering and user education. Sadly this a trend likely to emerge in 2008” comments Cameron.

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