Can watching online videos present enterprise security risks?

Can watching online videos present enterprise security risks?

Can watching videos online and listening to Internet radio present any serious security problems? If so, are there any recommendations on how to approach the problem from a policy standpoint and from a user standpoint?

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Internet video and radio present no additional security issues, besides the inherent risks of navigating with a browser. There is nothing in the various streaming protocols that create additional worries. That being said, many organizations have policies governing the use of Internet video and radio for productivity reasons.

Many Web filtering gateways can block these applications. As an additional layer of precaution, I also recommend application control (white lists) to be integrated into the client security layer to make sure that malware can't execute if a user navigates to a bad site.

For more information:

  • In this installment of our Risk Management Guide, contributor Shon Harris explains what risk is and clarifies the differences between risk and vulnerability management.
  • Identity management and access control expert Joel Dubin reviews the processes involved when conducting a risk assessment.
  • This was first published in June 2007