| 15 February 2012
Manchester (UK) and Boston (MA): Reacting to a report from Trustwave claiming that antivirus (AV) software is powerless to stop data breaches, Avecto says the study’s conclusion is similar to that of a Best Buy Guide to Chocolate Fireguards - the end result is always going to be a negative one.
“This report conclusion made me smile, as the reality is that, if a system compromise has occurred, then the security surrounding IT has obviously failed. Never mind that 99.9 per cent of the other times the IT defences have worked - what this study really proves is that a multi-layered security defence strategy is the only way to go,” said Paul Kenyon, chief operating officer with the Windows privilege management specialist.
“In taking a multi-layered security approach, he says, IT security systems can help defend against today’s hybridised and multi-vectored technology aggression – ranging from a simple piece of virus malware, all the way through to a man-in-the-browser blitzkrieg,” he added.
And, he went on to say, while the primary aim of today’s attacks is to monetise a cybercriminal fraud - or simply embarrass an organisation, as illustrated by the latest politically-motivated hacktivist attacks – defending against these technology barrages requires a well-planned strategy.
That strategy, he explained, goes way beyond the simple use of AV software and needs to involve advanced technologies that include security privilege management – controlling who can use which software assets, as well as from what location and at what time.
Although taking this approach may sound complex, says Kenyon, the fundamental principle is one of breaking the security process into a series of simple stages and the building the defences up from there.
“In the case of our own Windows privilege management approach - which seeks to reduce the security risk profile of the Windows desktop - you manage the endpoint through the use of admin domains; UAC - user account control; software hardening; application whitelisting; and assigning privileges to each user,” he said.
Limiting admin privileges to true administrators only, engenders advancement towards the least risk Windows 7 desktop. By ensuring all other users log on with standard user rights, and only elevating applications, a new option previously unavailable to organizations is introduced.
Put simply, Kenyon says, this means that if a hacker gains access to a general user account – which are in the majority - they have no admin privileges. Coupled with the aforementioned endpoint management controls, you then end up with the aim of a highly effective IT security strategy: a least risk environment:
Source: Gartner Making the Most of Windows 7 Security, dated 24th August 2010 – Dan Blum
“This is the heart of our Windows privilege management approach to security and is designed to augment the basic AV software and firewall systems that many organisations still rely upon – and whose systems almost certainly feature in the 300 instances of data breaches identified in this report,” he said.
“In my opinion, the takeout from this report is that AV technology should no longer be the solus security system that companies rely upon to defend the integrity of their data and allied IT platforms. Better security in today’s electronic space means tapping the power of technologies such as privilege management as an integral part of your defences,” he concluded.
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