Demystifying Web 2.0

Demystifying
Web 2.0
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Anyone who spends any time online cannot have failed to notice. People areusing the Web in new ways; ways that make the 'brochureware' of the earlyWeb experience look and feel decidedly flat.
It's a new world, characterized by a wave of new jargon, brands and webbased experiences. MySpace. FaceBook. Wikipedia. Flickr. Twitter.YouTube. Mashups. Blogs. Newsfeeds.
Clearly something is going on here.
Back in 2004, Tim O'Reilly of O'Reilly Media gave a name to this new waveof Web experiences. He called it Web 2.0.
Unfortunately, O'Reilly never really stopped to nail down a definition of Web2.0. Today, the term means many different things to many different peopleand therefore, some would say, means nothing at all.
But just because it's difficult to define doesn't mean that Web 2.0 isn't real.In fact, while pundits argue about its precise definition, Web 2.0 applicationshave been quietly (and not so quietly) taking the Web by storm andtransforming the way even the most staid corporations approachcollaboration and knowledge sharing.
" refers to aWeb 2.0perceived second generation ofweb-based communities andhosted services - such associal networking sites, wikis andfolksonomies - which facilitatecollaboration and sharingbetween users."WikipediaerpEnt r 2.iseb 2 0We . nd 0 aWWWeeebbb 222...000 aaannnddd EEEnnnttteeerrrppprrriiissseee 222...000
Nearly all Web 2.0 applications started life as consumer-focused services, onlylater finding their way into the enterprise.
But unlike many consumer 'toys', Web 2.0 actually delivers impressive benefitsto the enterprise, including:
Streamlining collaborationwithin and beyond the enterpriseAccelerating searchand information retrievalCapturing knowledge assetsand facilitating knowledge transfer87% of US employees Speeding application developmentand deploymentaccess Web 2.0 sites Communicating with stakeholdersin new wayseach week Some of these benefits are 'soft'. Others are quantifiable. But all have combinedto earn the attention of line-of-business managers and IT strategists alike. Web46% of employees 2.0 is here to stay.discuss work-relatedissues on social media In fact, it's now evolving into Enterprise 2.0 - the application of Web 2.0websites technologies to workers using network software within an organization.
59% of UK employeesaged 18-29 believe theyshould be entitled toaccess Web 2.0 contentfor personal use, fromwork
Clearswift Survey - The Impact of Web2.0 on Corporate Security, 2007
"The collaborative nature of Web2.0 is a phenomenon businessmust address."
Computer Weekly, 5 June 2007atehr 0T . 2Threat 2.0
Every new technology introduced into the enterprise brings with it new threats.Web 2.0 is no different, with threats including: "The tension between controland freedom plays out everyInfection and downtime - caused by viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware time a consumer-focusedspecifically carried by Web 2.0 applications technology makes into theData leaks - as staff members get lulled into a false sense of security, or enterprise, but it's particularlyintentionally share things they shouldn't share pronounced for Web 2.0."Legal prosecution - for illegal activities or regulatory breachesProductivity loss - as users spend more time on blogs and social networking Computer Weekly, June 2007sites than on workResource waste - as servers and networks become congested with frivolousmultimedia contentReputation damage - as any of the above abuses hit the headlines
These threats may look similar to the threat landscape associated with Web andemail use in general. But the unique nature of Web 2.0 technologies demand anew understanding and new defenses. iw fl teC a sr le phac nCCCllleeeaaarrrssswwwiiifffttt cccaaannn hhheeelllppp
At Clearswift, we've been helping enterprises protect themselves againstInternet-base threats for nearly twenty years. As Web 2.0 began to take shape,we worked hard to ensure that our Web security solutions were ready.
As a result, the MIMEsweeper for Web software and the MIMEsweeper WebAppliance solutions are already protecting hundreds of major organizations fromthe threats posed by Web 2.0 services.
This guide is a quick introduction to the m... [download for more]