Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 09 | Page 98

t cht lk a central store for all web data, such as cookies and browsing history. In addition to acting as a central data repository for Microsoft browsers, it also collects data from any application which uses the WinInet subsystem for Internet communications, such as Windows store apps and Windows Explorer. of websites visited. It can also include information such as usernames, passwords and account numbers. The database spawns at 32MB and as users use the system, it grows with new data. Files of multiple Gigabytes are not uncommon, so the capacity to store all that data can directly impact user experience, with problems such as prolonged log on times, while also utilising a growing amount of IT infrastructure resource and associated costs. This makes it possible for hackers to steal or copy these authentication cookies and user logins, enabling them to gain access to sites such as the CRM or any other cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application, as a verified user without being prompted to provide any credentials. Where data grows, security threats follow But the problem doesn't stop there as the data collection goes far beyond a record 98 INTELLIGENTCIO Furthermore, many websites prompt users to remember login credentials which, when opted for, store an authentication cookie on the machine. own proprietary code and databases that perform many of the same actions. And as websites and web applications become more complicated, compatibility issues also start to occur, forcing businesses to install multiple browsers for their users, exacerbating the data bloat and performance problem further. The final complication to these issues is that much of this web data, along with other personal settings such as email signatures etc, is usually stored in user profiles. This in turn creates further data bloat and performance issues, particularly when users login to a roaming or virtual environment. You can't walk out Addressing the web data challenge And it isn't just the Microsoft browsers that create these issues. While browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox do not use WinInet, they do utilise their So, with the challenges associated with web data bloat unlikely to go anywhere soon, what can organisations do to address the problem? Let's take a look www.intelligentcio.com