InformationWeek Analytics New Research Finds 56% of Companies Taking Steps to Lock Down Their Web 2.0 Applications

InformationWeek Analytics, the leading service for peer-based IT research and analysis, today announced the release of its latest research report; Hardening Next-Gen Web Applications includes an actual Web 2.0 application exploit to educate members on how to find, defend against it. The 382 respondents to this survey were screened to ensure they hold responsibility for the development, deployment or ongoing security of Web 2.0 applications. The report author, Adam Ely, is director of security for TiVo.

Research Summary:

Slick interactive applications have opened up new vistas of opportunity for businesses--and for attackers seeking to make off with data. In this report, we provide an in-depth analysis of the challenges around securing dynamic applications without stifling the very attributes that make them so popular with end users and customers.

  Findings:

  --  61% of respondents have a standard set of libraries in place to secure
      common functions, such as database calls and input validation. The
      remaining 39% should follow suit.
  --  Despite the promise of tokenization to secure data, 50% say they have
      no plans for use.
  --  64% see privacy breaches as the top threats linked to their
      organizations' Web 2.0 applications.
  --  Java and .NET are in a dead heat for the No. 1 language respondents'
      developers use to build Web 2.0 apps, at 55% and 54%, respectively.
      Perl is last, at just 2%.
  --  63% of respondents use third-party APIs in their Web applications.

For full access to the research data, members can download now: http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/21/3675/Security/research-harden ing-web-applications.html

"The ease with which the author was able to penetrate our sample Web 2.0 employee management application is possible because developers of Web apps often forget to protect against legitimate users," says Lorna Garey, content director of InformationWeek Analytics. "Adam lays out a strategy to help companies avoid this and other common mistakes."

InformationWeek Analytics is a subscription-based service, offering peer-based technology research. Its site currently houses more than 900 reports and briefs, and includes a dedicated area where technology professionals can access complete issues of InformationWeek Magazine. More than one hundred new reports are slated for release in 2010. InformationWeek Analytics members have access to:

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  Contact:  Art Wittmann
            VP & Managing Director InformationWeek Analytics
            415-947-6361
            awittmann@techweb.com

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CONTACT: Art Wittmann, VP & Managing Director InformationWeek Analytics,
+1-415-947-6361, awittmann@techweb.com

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