Akonix Blocks BitTorrent File Sharing

businesswire [via]:

Akonix Enforcer protects corporate networks from the business and security risks associated with P2P file sharing. Swapping P2P files drains bandwidth and exposes organizations to risks posed by virus infections and hacker attacks using security loopholes. Employees can also inadvertently share files containing sensitive information, and the P2P application installer may automatically share files or folders -- including password files -- without the user's knowledge.

A July 2003 research report by AssetMetrix on P2P activity found that Web-based file sharing by employees occurs in over 77% of organizations. In an analysis of 175,765 PCs in 560 companies, 6,764 were found to have P2P programs installed.

"In today's corporate environment, there are very few legitimate business uses for consumer P2P file sharing," said Michael Osterman, president of Osterman Research. "Unauthorized activity within an enterprise network creates situations in which companies run the risk of security leaks or illegal activity. Products like Akonix Enforcer allow IT departments to block and monitor all P2P activity, removing another security concern from IT managers and freeing up network bandwidth for legitimate business communications."