03/07/2008

A number of large technology firms have joined forces in an attempt to improve online security.

Cisco, Intel, IBM, Microsoft and Juniper Networks will collaborate as part of the new Industry Consortium for Advancement of Security on the Internet (Icasi), which hopes to improve response times to online attacks that target multiple products.

A statement from the group said: 'Icasi will allow IT vendors to work together to address multi-vendor security threats.'

It continued by asserting that industry cooperation is needed as hackers and other cyber criminals are employing ever more sophisticated techniques to breach security defences.

Recent research conducted by Fortify shows that four in five (81 per cent) IT professionals believe that their applications are vulnerable to breaches, with nearly a third of of people working in the sector describing themselves as 'very worried' about the security situation.

Fortify Software's head of product marketing Rob Rachwald told ComputerWeekly.com 'that hacking is a very real threat to a lot of companies'.