Is there a Mole in your office?

A new Internet standard increases security risks in the office, an expert has claimed.

The new standard, which will enable the creation of trillions of new Internet addresses, was enabled this week.

The new system - Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) - is necessary to prevent the Internet running out of available addresses for new devices.

Experts said users should not notice any difference in their web use, and new devices should be using the new system as standard.

"The introduction of IPv6 is the IT equivalent of the move from imperial to metric for measurement; the two can run side by side but aren't compatible with each other," Mark Lewis, vice president for development for telecommunications firm Interoute, told the BBC.

However, Lewis warned that the proliferation of internet-enabled devices presents a pressing security risk for companies.

"The introduction of IPv6 will effectively mean that every device, from the mobile phone to the vending machine could become a mole in the office," he said.

"This puts the onus on organisations to secure and understand these new Internet enabled devices that operate within the office walls."

Thursday, June 7, 2012

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