UK businesses are displaying a worrying lack of understanding when it comes to securing their virtual environments. That is according to a study by an internet security company.
The study, conducted globally among businesses with 100 or more IT workstations for Kaspersky Lab, found that one third of companies surveyed admitted that they only invest in security for physical environments, leaving their virtual platforms dangerously vulnerable to attack. In addition 42 per cent of companies believed their virtual servers were more secure than physical ones – despite the fact that one in three of those surveyed admitted their knowledge of virtualization was ‘basic’. These facts combined point towards a worrying lack of knowledge among IT professionals, which may be putting the benefits of virtualization at risk.
Peter Beardmore, Senior Director of Products and Services from Kaspersky Lab, said: “There is no doubt that the business benefits of virtualization are huge – both in terms of cost and accessibility. But underestimating the security risks puts businesses of all sizes in a perilous position. The lack of knowledge shown by IT professionals is the main culprit, so businesses really need to invest in understanding the concept of virtualization. Basic knowledge is simply not sufficient when the security of your business is at stake. The industry needs to wake up to this situation and invest in adequate security solutions alongside a comprehensive education programme.”
Kaspersky Lab has developed Kaspersky Security for Virtualization. The new solution integrates with the rest of Kaspersky Lab’s corporate security suite, and can also be managed centrally from Kaspersky Security Centre 9. According to the IT firm it can now offer customers a single, unified management and security platform across their virtual, physical and mobile environments. More information can be found at http://www.kaspersky.com/beready.
