More than 60% of networks suffered security breaches in 2013, survey finds
IT professionals rate network access control (NAC) as the most effective technology to defend against cyberthreats, according to a new survey by CyberEdge Group for network security provider ForeScout Technologies. According to the "2014 Cyberthreat Defence Report" more than 60 percent of participants had suffered network security breaches in 2013, with a quarter of all participants citing a lack of employer investment in adequate defences as a factor. Other key findings in the survey include that adoption of 'bring your own devce' (BYOD) policies is anticipated to move from 31 percent in 2014 to 77 percent in 2016. Information security is becoming more challenging due to three disruptive changes that nearly all enterprises are experiencing, the survey finds. These are IT infrastructure complexity due to an exponential increase in network connections and use of mobile, virtualisation and cloud technology; diminished capacity to manage endpoints caused by growing network-enabled and personal device use at the workplace; and difficulty to efficiently mitigate exposures within a growing attack landscape.
Pictured: Part of an infographic displaying research statistics. The full image is available at:
www.forescout.com/cyberthreat-defense-infographic
2014 Cyberthreat Defence Report: www2.forescout.com/cyberedge_cyberthreat_2014
Capita signs £325m framework contract for Scottish Wide Area Network
Capita plc has signed a framework contract to deliver the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN), a single network for the use of all public service organisations within Scotland. The contract value for SWAN is up to £325m over nine years. The programme aims to establish a single shared network and common ICT infrastructure across Scotland's entire public sector.More than 4,600 sites will be connected to the initial network including schools, hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacists and local council offices. Planned benefits include reduced costs, improved service and the ability to share data across organisations, fostering co-operative working. Four 'vanguard' organisations representing 30 public service organisations in Scotland - NHS Scotland, Education Scotland, Pathfinder North (five local authorities) and Pathfinder South (two local authorities) - are the first to commit to the network. These early adopters are planned to generate revenues to Capita of about £110m over the first seven years. A further 11 organisations are planning to join in 2014, the company says.
Capita: www.capita.co.uk
Online cloud shopping mall for schools opens new website
An online 'shopping mall' service for primary and secondary schools, Point2School, has launched a new website. Point2School - a service from parent company Point2Educate - offers teachers and learners access to hundreds of curriculum software titles and online services from the UK's most renowned publishers and content providers including Sherston, Cambridge-Hitachi, Cakewalk, 2Simple and Heinemann, on a rental basis. Using this rental model, schools are able to purchase rich, multimedia content for a four or twelve month period. Content is available across key stages covering all curriculum areas, and Special Educational Needs (SEN) resources and content covering ages 4-19 is also available. The standard licence for software on Point2School is site-wide, enabling anywhere access in the school without restriction. However, schools also have the option to extend this to a community license, enabling staff and students' access from home for the rental period.
Point2School: http://school.point2educate.com
