Social networking and file sharing applications are widely used in Middle Eastern organizations, with Facebook and Twitter consuming over 70% of social networking bandwidth. On average, organizations have 19 social networking applications and 18 file sharing applications. While many applications only use port 80, over 80% of bandwidth is consumed by applications not using port 80, showing the need to monitor more than just port 80 traffic.

1. Five Facts About Application
Usage on Enterprise Networks
in the Middle East
(Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE)
Application Usage and Risk Report
December 2011

3. Average number of social networking
applications per organization?
A total of 55 different social networking applications were
found in 97% of the 37 participating organizations with an
average of 19 found on each network.

5. Which application is used more heavily?
Based on the percentage of social networking bandwidth
consumed, Facebook consumed 52% of the bandwidth
while Twitter consumed a 21%.

6. Facebook dominates. Active social networking application
(plugins, games, posting) usage patterns are similar to those
seen globally.

8. Average number of browser-based
filesharing applications per organization?
A total of 46 different browser-based filesharing
applications were found in 95% of the 37 participating
organizations with an average of 18 in each.

9. Browser-based filesharing use cases: work or
entertainment. Both uses have a common set of business
and security risks that organizations must address.

11. The number of applications
using Port 80 (tcp/80) only?
The number of applications that ONLY use Port 80 is 189 or
28% of the 674 applications found in the participating
organizations.

13. Percentage of total bandwidth consumed
by applications not using tcp/80?
A whopping 81% of the total bandwidth is being consumed
by 270 (40% of 674) applications that DO NOT USE port 80
at all. Ever.

14. Port 80 only security is shortsighted. The common
perception is that Port 80 (tcp/80) is where all the traffic and all
the problems are. A port 80 emphasis is an absolute
requirement; but too much focus is shortsighted.

16. Palo Alto Networks Application Usage
and Risk Report
www.paloaltonetworks.com/aur