Technology

Information technology enterprises all over the world are faced with security threats especially in the realm of the introduction of the Web 2.0.  Every person in the office feels insecure when their password has leaked to another party.  The effect is even worse when they tramp in to a malware while opening some social site or even they find an email attachment that they did not expect. The introduction of the Web 2.0 is expected to be a great threat to the I.T departments of many firms all over the world.  The social sites found on the Web 2.0 such as the face book pose a great danger of quick spread of malware, and data insecurity through attack by the virus or hacked programs.  However, some security measures have been discussed in this essay.

Web 2.0 is an interactive site that encourages many users to exchange view, ideas, jokes, and other forms of information in office or out of office so long as one has internet connections.  The Web 2.0 is a set of user-centered web applications that is designed to facilitate interactive exchange of information, collaborative and interoperability of activities as provided in the WWW.

It includes sites that offer blogs, video sharing, social networking services like the face book and the twitter, the Wikis among others.  With this technology, photos can be exchanged, games can be played, music, videos, electronic learning, travel, mobile, widget, fun sharing, storage services, management operations, collaboration, communication and business transactions as well as search operations offered within the system. The web applications are as the development of the Ajax web 1.0.  This has been possible through the advancement in technology which enables computer programmers and designers to generate more user friendly programs and post them for use through the internet services (Ever, 2006).  The Web 2.0 has included the RSS and the Eclipse on the initial features of the web 1.0 which are the Blogs and Wikis and other interactive features.

The development of the Web 2.0 is the creation of O Reilly who had been thinking about the web concepts of the next-generation.  Since its generation in the MediaLive international 2004, the copyright procedures are been worked on consistedly by the OReilly media, which is pursued through a series of annual conferences. However, there has been controversy and debates that are criticize that authenticity and originality of the Web 2.0 which is meant to mean the the new version of the World Wide Web but majority criticize the authenticity of this type of web and think that it is not a new version as it is said rather it is thought as a development of the traditional world wide web which is usually denoted as the Web 1.0.

Despite the controversy, it is important to acknowledge that Web 2.0 has enabled quite a variety of user friendly sites that encompasses a greater collaboration among the users of internet, information providers as well as more business related management assistance.  The web 2.0 is a good source of information through the wikipedia, downloadable book materials and journals with an increased frequency on the use of blogging activities as well as the news provision (Fraser, Dutta, 2009). The data entry processes are easy with the present Web 2.0 design since it allows amendment to the worldwide web information.

Unfortunately, the availability of the Web 2.0 interactive web has posed great danger to information security and data base management.  Most Information Technology administrators have complained that the availability of the social sites in the computer internet programs has posed a great danger to the authenticity and integrity of information and that business enterprises are now facing a greater challenge on data security.  This is due to the increased rate of the disposal of malware that are quickly moving through the internet social created environment in the facebook or even through posting of photos and games.  These analysts have further pointed out that the malware is more difficult to deal with that the normally spread internet viruses.

Data that was collected for the United States of America, Australia, and the U.K state the manifestation of the malicious software in most IT related firm is on a rise and most of these malware may not be easily removed form the work environment.  The rise is attributed to the majority of the employee using the socially enabled work environment interaction via the face book or games sites in the computer internet services available in office.  In the data that included 803 IT experts working in firms that have between 100-5000 human resources that used the internet service in their offices shows that 73 of the IT officer believed that the malware affecting their machines were not easy to clean as compared to the e-mail based viruses or worms. It requires more expertise for the majority of business enterprises to manage the web based threats that are likely to a great threat to most software and hardware in the year 2010.  About 80 of the IT administrators agree to the view that the web interactive site resulting form the development of the web 2.0 are a great threat to information security (Eddy, 2010).  The top most machines that need to be provided with maximum security include the mobile systems, the laptops, as well as more attention being required in information integrity checks, information confidentiality and prevention of data loss.

Most of the IT professionals confessed that the industry will have to spend more in the management of data security because their Microsoft operating systems were more vulnerable.  The web browsers were 24 vulnerable, the Twitter and the facebook were 23 at risk while the Adobe Flash was 24 vulnerable to the attack of these threats. Other vulnerable sites include the media down load (32), the used P2P networking (25) and the Web mail accounts (25). Thus the data shows that a quota of the companies is at risk in terms of information security and data management requirements are on a rise.  However, it is encouraging that most of the companies are have already installed data security software that can detect the threats as they enter the machine and can therefore ensure some security for their data.  Some of the installed software includes the spyware (57), the phishing (47), the SQL website injections (32) and virus protection taking the elephants share of protection (60).

Majority of the IT managers have set security measures guarding the employee use of the internet thus limiting the access to the social sites hence the overall effect of reducing the possibility of the spread of the threats through their machines.  The employers here admitted that they had to limit access to the social sites like the facebook and chatting unless it was necessary among the employees.  This is one of the commonly used security measure towards the spread of attack by the virus and malware among the majority of the SMBs companies.

The managers insisted that they would send occasional reminders to their employees as well as warn the new recruits against some social sites. Another way the companies are able to counter attack by such viruses would be  by ensuring that employees keep the latest versions of the malware vectors to assist in the detection and removal of the threats before attacking the system. Some software companies are working hard day in day out to generate programs that can counter the threats as they appear in the internet (Ever, 2006). Some of these programs can perform fast checks of the threats, and heal them at once restoring the machine working capability instantly.  However this is an extra cost to the IT firms.

Apart form the threats attacking the machines and software in an office, many critics argue against the Web 2.0 as means of wasting time in office while employees chat.  Logging to the facebook and other social sites in a work place are punishable offenses that may even result to loss of ones job.  Most financial institutions in the use firewall to deter employees from watching or visiting social sites. For example in British Gas, the Lloyds TSB in the U.K are good users of the protective firewall software.

In some institutions of finances, employees that are on facebook are not recruited to avoid the havoc of running after them every time. Elsewhere, in Barracuda Networks which is one of the major companies dealing with security software development, it has confirmed that their company employs the use of Web Filters to curb the problem of threats resulting from the use of facebook and Myspace sites.  The web filters bar the accessibility and use of the sites.

Many IT administrators declare that business managers that seek to have their lap tops connected to the company networks are at a great risk of losing their data through the web 2.0 programs. This is why managers are encouraged to avoid the use of open software platforms they are advice to use appropriate security software or web filters to deter their employees from accessing secured data through the web 2.0 connectivity as well as the social software invested threat zone.  The increased trend of threat infections to the IT firms as been seen as the main reason as to why most business leaders are against the use of the web 2.0. It is however inevitable that most security software firm are coming up to counter the threats that are being encountered in the information technology world.  This is a negative trend to the business managers who must spend more on data security (Fraser, Dutta, 2009).  It is rather inevitable that business leaders will have to spend more if they are to maintain data integrity, maintain the value and validity of the data over fairly long time.  As much as the managers oppose the entry of the web 2.0 in the IT, they will very soon be mandated to use it since it has the best network connectivity and efficiencies in dissemination of information with the best possible interactive sites favorable not only to the employees but the managers.

The Google tool that is found on the web 2.0 is one of the best tools that  is used to gain more knowledge on the world news as well as other company management strategies that may help the others managers to improve on their productivity.  The music and fun found on the web 2.0 is a motivating factor to most office workers because they concentrate more and are rarely bored by office work. Most of the employees find it fulfilling since they claim that they are now doing more work per unit time than they used to do without the social sites in the computer net works.

In conclusion, the web 2.0 is a good product that is worth embracing in different types of firms because the productivity of workers and the managers is increased.  However, the site needs to be installed and used with care thus data security measures are needed.  The web filter mechanism can be applied as a security measure.  The use of updated security software is the best approach towards data security.