In their efforts to keep malware off their networks, some IT and security pros restrict end users’ rights to install apps on company machines, and the majority restrict the individual applications that are allowed on the network, a survey says.Companies are essentially split on whether to allow users to install applications — 51% yes, 49% no, according to a survey of 765 professionals by security vendor Bit9.NEW THREAT: Scariest IPv6 attack scenariosSeventy-four percent of the businesses polled allow only software from a list approved by the business, and 23% allow only software that is actually deployed by the business. About half allow administrative rights to fewer than 20% of their users, and just 11% allow such rights to all users. Seven percent allow administrative rights to no users.While restricting administrative rights is the most popular method of controlling or preventing unauthorized software, that’s not the only method. Written policy guidelines that they trust employees to honor are used by half the respondents, according to the survey. Of those who responded, 45% said they’ve found digital music software on work machines, 44% have social media software and 43% have instant messaging. Spyware was found by 36% of respondents and 32% said they found viruses and other malware on corporate machines.When presented with four choices of attacks and asked which ones they fear, 60% said those that exploit zero-day attacks that leads to stealing intellectual property. Fewer were concerned about employees stealing and publishing company data (28%), a vendor being hacked and compromising company email (26%) and customer data being stolen because a cloud security application has been hacked (25%).About a third of respondents say they don’t let employees use their own mobile devices for work. 41% do allow them but only on isolated public networks. 27% allow these devices to connect to the corporate intranet, the survey says.Just 19% say that network crashes have been traced to use of “unusual” software.Read more about wide area network in Network World’s Wide Area Network section. Related content news Chinese state actors behind espionage attacks on Southeast Asian government The distinct groups of activities formed three different clusters, each attributed to a specific APT group. By Shweta Sharma Sep 25, 2023 4 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks feature How to pick the best endpoint detection and response solution EDR software has emerged as one of the preeminent tools in the CISO’s arsenal. Here’s what to look for and what to avoid when choosing EDR software. By Linda Rosencrance Sep 25, 2023 10 mins Intrusion Detection Software Security Monitoring Software Data and Information Security feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Data and Information Security IT Leadership brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe