Kuwaiti IT experts raise cyber crime concerns

Kuwaiti officials say cyber crime has been increasing at an alarming rate in the country Seventy one percent of IT experts in Kuwait believe that the region is a prime target for cyber criminals, according to research conducted by Gulf Business Machines (GBM). The results reveal that 27 percent of incidents are staff related, which can be avoided by increasing employee awareness. Cyber security risks are also potentially increasing with social media becoming more available within organisations, announced GBM, the region's leading IT solutions provider.
The security landscape in Kuwait has continually evolved in recent years, largely due to the increase of cyber-crime. The results of the survey also highlight that 32 percent of respondents said their organisations have not been conducting regular proactive screenings to ensure that their IT infrastructure and critical data are protected. Respondents are expressing a false sense of security as the survey shows that 64 percent of respondents believe that the number of successful attacks will decrease in the next 12 months.
"Businesses are becoming more aware of the importance of technology as well as the value it brings. However, organisations still need to become more proactive in taking pre-emptive measures against possible cyber threats," said Piero Corsini, Country General Manager, Khorafi Business Machines, GBM's Kuwait branch. "Nearly half of the organisations polled spend up to 10 percent of their IT budget on security. However, we are expecting that this number will increase in the future."
Similar GBM survey, conducted last year, showed that just over a third of those polled claimed that their organisations' IT policies completely prohibited access to social networking websites. Today, this number has slightly decreased, indicating that more businesses are starting to adopt and embrace social media.
"Compared to last year, companies in Kuwait have slightly loosened their social networking restrictions, which indicate that organisations in Kuwait and the region are definitely exploring social media as a new way of communication with the public. With this in mind, it is important for organisations to be equipped with the necessary security tools since the rise in social media usage increases the risk of cyber security attacks," said Corsini.
Since GBM's foundation in 1990, the company has been at the forefront of addressing challenges resulting from an ever-changing cybercrime eco-system in the region. The research coincides with the launch of GBM's Security Framework, which assists users with mitigating risks. At the core of its IT security offering, the Security Framework enables customers to meet and exceed IT industry best practices in order to secure their infrastructure.