New Dimension Data Service Helps Organizations Proactively Identify And Deal With Security Vulnerabilities

NEW YORK, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dimension Data, the $5.8 billion global ICT solutions and services provider, today announced the availability of its Technology Lifecycle Management Assessment for Security. The assessment helps organizations determine which devices on their corporate network require immediate attention over other devices, based on the network location and severity.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120402/NE80686LOGO )

According to Dimension Data's 2012 Network Barometer Report, two-thirds of all corporate network devices analyzed in 2011 were carrying at least one known security vulnerability. Of the known security vulnerabilities discovered, four of the top 10 most prevalent were new, three of which had a high-severity rating.

"These statistics should be a reminder to those in IT security to identify and apply security controls consistently across their organization, or run the risk of security breaches that can severely impact business and damage brand reputation if made public," says Matt Gyde, Dimension Data's group general manager, security solutions.

"In some countries, non-IT executives could even be held personally liable for security breaches. Today, barely a week goes by without a global headline featuring cybercrime, data theft or information leakage. In fact, data leaks and non-compliance now rank right up there with market crashes and natural disasters on a board of directors' typical priority risk list. In 2011, there were 14,215 regulatory announcements affecting businesses across all industries," Gyde adds.

As an example, Gyde cites the Sony PlayStation Network incident – dubbed the "data breach of all time" – where over 77 million PlayStation Network accounts were hacked. "What's more startling is the fact that, of the 77 million accounts affected, 12 million had unencrypted credit card numbers. Not to mention the millions lost while the site was down for a month," says Gyde. "And while the hacker – Cody Kretsinger – was earlier this month sentenced to one year in prison, plus house arrest and a thousand hours of community work, the damage to the Sony brand was massive, and the harsh criticism of its faulty security continues."

While every organization aims to achieve a high standard of security compliance and adaptive firewall policies that best protect their IT infrastructure from insider and outsider threats, this is often difficult for clients to achieve due to the proliferation of threats in the modern-day security landscape and increased pressure around compliance.

"With this Assessment, we can help organizations to proactively plan, design, and build security architectures based on changing business demands and their appetite for risk. This will in turn provide reduced operational costs, better budget planning and a more predictable operational expenditure," says Gyde.

If organizations answer "yes" to one of the statements below, their business is vulnerable to the ever-growing number of security threats:

• Your organization has little visibility into the security configuration of network devices
• Your organization is concerned about the state of its firewall infrastructure
• Your organization has widely distributed geographic locations
• Your organization has recently experienced a security breach or data loss

About Dimension Data
Founded in 1983, Dimension Data plc is an ICT services and solutions provider that uses its technology expertise, global service delivery capability, and entrepreneurial spirit to accelerate the business ambitions of its clients. Dimension Data is a member of the NTT Group. Visit us at www.dimensiondata.com/na and www.facebook.com/DimensionDataAmericas or follow us on Twitter: @DimensionDataAM.  

SOURCE Dimension Data