Although firms can now claim great benefits from the use of virtual worlds, they must be hugely watchful about the attendant security risks allowing users to operate in such mediums can bring, a leading industry figure has warned.

Many firms are now using 'Second Life' situations to boost their global presence and increase their collaborative options but, according to Steve Prentice, vice president and distinguished analyst at research firm Gartner, these online worlds can expose firms to a host of security and risk-management issues.

Among the major security issues Mr Prentice identifies are problems with identity authentication, confidentiality, risks to brand and reputation and the potential for downloading of unverified applications that might infiltrate existing firewalls and security systems.

"The risks enterprises face as a result of their involvement in virtual worlds are real and can be significant," he said.

"They shouldn't be ignored - but neither should the potential opportunities and benefits that arise from using these new environments for corporate collaboration and communications."

Mr Prentice recommended that any firms wishing to make their virtual presence felt should do so on more heavily moderated, targeted sites, such as There, Kaneva and Activeworlds.

Research for Connect in 2007 found that 88 per cent of UK businesses were interested in Disaster Recovery systems primarily to protect their critical applications and data