• By Peter McKiel
• Published 01/13/2012

There is an ongoing battle between Internet security software vendors who work to identify then patch computer vulnerabilities and cyber criminals who dedicate themselves to exploiting these weaknesses for financial gain.

The situation is made more complex by the fact that the operating systems and applications that organisations rely on are composed of a multitude of complex code, in which security flaws are inevitable.

Both businesses and individuals are caught in the cross-fire of the cyber security war, but there are some crucial ways to minimise the risk of malware and keep your business PCs protected. The following guide will give you some key tips to do just that.

Stay Informed

In 2011 alone, Microsoft published 99 security bulletins addressing hundreds of software vulnerabilities which can easily be exploited by criminals, and this doesn’t even include other less urgent update security patches. Then there are the numerous PC tools such as Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash and Java, as well as a wide range of third-party applications and technologies that also contain security flaws which are ripe for exploitation.

Thus, it’s utterly important for every business to keep abreast of emerging security vulnerabilities so they can keep their networks protected against current and emerging threats.

Intelligent Security Software to Fight Zero-Day Exploits

In a nutshell, a zero-day exploit takes advantage of a security vulnerability on the same day that the security flaw becomes generally known. These types of attacks are particularly damaging because no patch has yet been created to protect users against it.

To make matters worse, zero-day exploits work particularly well as precision attacks directed at specific targets with a focused goal, such as infiltrating a company network to steal sensitive information.

While most malware attacks in fact target known vulnerabilities, it’s important to take the threat of criminals discovering a new software security flaw and infecting the PCs on your business network with malicious code before there is the chance to block it.

It’s vital for every business to establish robust security measures to protect their network during the gap between when a patch is released and when it’s deployed to endpoint PCs. A good Internet security software product will not only ensure IT infrastructure is protected against known malware threats, it will also include heuristic technology which is able to intelligently identify new threats before they’re officially entered into the malware blacklist database.

Diversity Is Complex But Reduces Infection Risk

These days, there is an increasing range of operating systems and technologies used to power a wealth of different computing devices. While the downside is this makes it more complex and thus difficult to operate a comprehensive security strategy to protect your IT infrastructure, a diverse platform of operating systems has the advantage of being more resilient against malware attacks.

In other words, if your entire network runs on the Windows platform, a malware attack targeting a Microsoft security flaw would infect your entire system. If however you also utilise Mac OS X or Linux platforms for example, you would still have uncorrupted data that was not compromised.

The Big Guns

While large organisations have the finances to buy the best in IT security, smaller companies with smaller budgets have traditionally often been left vulnerable to malware attacks. With malware rising at an alarming rate, every business needs to take PC protection seriously, but the good news is that reliable Internet security software is now within reach of everyone – you can now buy it at a minimal cost and administrative overhead.

The big guns will include a comprehensive suite of security tools that can be managed and deployed from one console. They should include antivirus, antispyware, personal firewall, and browser intrusion prevention. They should also proactively track the age, prevalence and security rating of most Internet files to be able to quickly recognise new or changed threats.

In addition to robust protection, easy administration is also key. Look for a security product that can be easily managed from a single PC and that comes complete with wizards and flexible deployment options that streamline the installations and upgrades of every PC in your business network. In addition, so as not to impact on productivity, it should also perform noncritical security tasks at times when computers are idle.

Conclusion

With malware getting increasingly sophisticated at flying below the radar, effective and ever vigilant Internet security software is now an absolute necessity, rather than a techy choice. To this end, it’s strongly recommended to only opt for products from reliable suppliers who offer tried and trusted protection.

About the Author: Peter McKiel is an independent IT Consultant.

About the Author: Peter McKiel