The Benefits and Security Risks of Web-Based Applications for Business

Trend Report

Kathleen Kotwica

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9780124169876
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Business Intelligence
• Index: Computer Science

This trend report provides security executives and practitioners with an overview of the benefits of using web-based applications and tools in the workplace and their security risks. Web-based applications are being used by businesses more and more each year for purposes of improved communication with employees and customers, group collaboration, and marketing and publicity outreach. The benefits of web-based applications for business are many, but so too are the risks associated with them. Data leakage, information manipulation, malware, and authentication security are just a few of the cyber threats discussed in this report.It is critical to weigh the pros and cons of implementing a web-based application in the workplace and plan accordingly to mitigate risk. This report is a valuable resource for any security professional who is considering the adoption of a web-based application for corporate use.TheBenefits and Security Risks ofWeb-Based Applications for Businessis a part of Elsevier's Security Executive Council Risk Management Portfolio, a collection of real world solutions and "how-to" guidelines that equip executives, practitioners, and educators with proven information for successful security and risk management programs.- Provides security executives and practitioners with an overview of how companies have begun to adopt web-based applications and tools for employee use- Describes the benefits of web-based applications and warns of the potential risks associated with their use in the workplace- Includes practical recommendations to mitigate the risks of web-based applications

Research Findings

The Benefits of Web-Based Applications and Current Adoption Rates

The Risks of Web-Based Applications in the Workplace

Summary

Additional Resources

The Benefits of Web-Based Applications and Current Adoption Rates

Companies adopt web-based applications to improve communication and workflow within their businesses and improve their relationships with clients. A June 2012 McKinsey global survey of over 3,500 executives showed that 83 percent had adopted at least one social technology, with 90 percent of those respondents reporting “measureable benefits” from the use of those technologies.⁴ Established resources, such as the E2 Conference, are available to help companies leverage the benefits of new technology in their businesses (www.e2conf.com).

When the Web 2.0 concept really began to take hold in 2006 and 2007, corporations tentatively dipped their toes into the social media sphere by instituting company blogs to help them communicate with customers and employees. Early adopters included Wells Fargo,⁵ GM, and Sun Microsystems.⁶ Blogs provided the sense of a more direct line of communication with corporate executives, adding to perceptions of customer service and employee care. They also gave companies a new method of collecting and responding to valuable customer and employee feedback, as well as a way to share information from the top down.

Then arrived the behemoths: Facebook and Twitter. These two social media platforms in particular have revolutionized social media, quickly surpassing the use of blogs. According to the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, which conducts an annual survey⁷ on the adoption of social media across Fortune 500 companies, 28 percent of companies surveyed in 2012 maintained a corporate blog. In comparison, 73 percent of Fortune 500 companies had a corporate Twitter account, and 66 percent had a company Facebook page. More recently, the same researchers have found that among Inc. 500 companies (the fastest-growing private companies in America, defined annually by Inc. magazine), 81 percent were using LinkedIn in 2012—exceeding both Facebook and Twitter use.⁸

One of the first collaborative creation tools to emerge was wikis. According to Bill Ives, Novell first used wikis for team collaboration in projects like re...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Research Findings
• References
• About the Author
• About Elsevier’s Security Executive Council Risk Management Portfolio