Businesses must implement internet usage policies to avoid
leaving themselves vulnerable to search engine optimisation (SEO)
attacks during the Olympics
Television companies will for the first time be able to take
advantage of high speed internet to stream coverage of the
Olympics in Beijing, which will encourage workers to search the
web for Olympic action.
But this will open businesses up to potential attacks, according
to Guillaume Lovet, head of
Fortinet's threat response team.
Lovet said that cyber criminals target individuals, and if these
individuals are using the corporate network to access Olympic
coverage they could compromise network security.
"If you look at what has happened in the past, each time there
is a major event such as the world cup or a catastrophe like the
Tsunami in SE Asia, criminals have seized the opportunity to
deploy scams," said Lovet. "The targets are end-users, but they are
using the corporate networks."
He said there will be a major rise in
search engine
optimisation (SEO) attacks. "When people enter keywords related
to Olympics-related content they could be directed to websites set
up by criminals." This could put them at risk of scams and expose
them to
Malware as well as other threats, he added.
Lovet said technology and policies are equally important methods
of securing corporate network during the Olympics.
Fortinet outlines best practices for online safety
during the Olympics
1 - Have clear internet usage policies - make sure employees
know the corporate policy on web use, whether their internet usage
is tracked and how this impacts their performance review.
2 - Avoid draconian filtering practices - businesses that use
filtering solutions to control website access should communicate
what types of sites are blocked. They should set filters to enable
access before work, during lunch and after work hours set filters
to limit access to a preset amount of time and enable access to the
olympics from cafeterias and break rooms.
3 - Never follow unsolicited links suggested by a third
party.
4 - Use and update security solutions - have an effective
anti-spam, web-filtering and anti-virus solution in place and make
sure programs are kept updated.