There’s Real Danger in Streaming Video – Beyond the Pictures

Millions of people gathered around their computers to watch Barack Obama be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. Thanks in part to streaming video technology, individuals around the globe – in the offices, on mobile devices and in their homes -- had access to this event with a few simple clicks of their mouse. Limelight Networks issued a statement estimating that their network alone had over 9 million streams during that time. Some would say this event signaled a coming of age for Flash technology.

But what most people don't realize is that by simply clicking on any video they stream through their computer, they are unknowingly introducing new security threats into their PC. Adobe, whose Flash technology is present on 98 percent of connected computers and delivers 80 percent of Web video worldwide, is learning that along with popularity, comes increased security risks. As outlined in a recently released report, the number of Flash vulnerabilities detected in Web applications over the last two years have increased by 300 percent, as compared to 2005 and 2006.

Technology developments are emerging. One example from IBM: software that scans dynamic Web applications (enabled via Web 2.0 and SOA technologies) for security vulnerabilities before they become a real threat.