If targeted cyber attacks weren’t already one of the year’s top security concerns, a new study revealed that they’re no longer limiting their focus on the corporate giants of the world. They’re becoming the norm for midsized businesses, as well. This was just one of several recent reports and newly surfaced malware like the Stuxnet worm that have security professionals on high alert. With more stealthier attacks aimed at beating forensic efforts, cyber crime continues to have a growing impact on organizations and their bottom line. Here are some of the top security stories from July 2010. ( Read More… )
Top endpoint security stories for July 2010 — Targeted attacks heat up in July, broaden scope of intended corporate victims
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It’s pretty cool when your baby really ISN’T ugly…
You’ve all been there before. You’re having dinner with friends and out come the baby pictures. Inevitably, you are listening to a set of parents who are gushing about the fact that their child is the next Fabio or Christy Brinkley and THEN you see the picture…
Well, I find myself in the position today of being the doting parent. Only in this case, the “child” is a major overhaul of our flagship product, BOUNCER V6.0. With this new release the “child” has grown into an adult. You’ll have to pardon my metaphor here, but I believe building a product is, in many ways, like watching your kid grow up. With V6, we’re realizing the vision we developed for the product when I joined CoreTrace more than 3 years ago. ( Read More… )
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Protect your endpoint systems from Stuxnet with CoreTrace BOUNCER
I just posted a video walking through the stuxnet exploit and how it can impact endpoints simply by viewing the site and how a strong application whitelisting solution like BOUNCER stops this.
This attack is a good illustration of a vulnerability that affects all versions of Windows and was specifically targeting SCADA environments. More specifically it affects any systems that use shortcuts.
While antivirus companies scramble for a fix to the latest threat of the day, it seems to make more sense to look for security solutions that defend against these sorts of attacks proactively.
Most recent comment: A clean sweep: Bouncer helps defeat all of SC Magazine’s “Top 5 Threats” of 2010
[...] worm. In July, we demonstrated how CoreTrace’s BOUNCER application whitelisting solution proactively stops the virus from executing on a ...
Application whitelisting: A perfect way to extend the life of Windows 2000 systems
On July 13, 2010 Microsoft ended its support of Windows 2000-based systems. This week, Gartner Analyst Neil MacDonald detailed the options available to organizations who may still be using Windows 2000:
- Migrate to a newer and supported operating system
- Pay Microsoft for a Custom Support Agreement (CSA), running $50,000 per quarter
- Pay Microsoft for Custom Support Essentials (CSE), to receive critical security fixes
- Continue using Windows 2000-based systems without new patches
For many organizations, the first three options are time intensive and extremely expensive, but they feel concerned about running legacy systems without ongoing security patching. If your organization feels the need to continue to run Windows 2000, application whitelisting, such as our CoreTrace BOUNCER solution, may be exactly what your company needs. ( Read More… )
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Siemen’s recommended virus scans part of the problem
Each week seems to present a newly discovered strain of malicious code targeting a high-profiled corporation or system vulnerability. This week is a malware program targeting Siemens WinCC SCADA systems, which hides on USB storage devices and uses a Microsoft security breach before activating a Trojan. While Siemens is taking necessary precautions to inform customers about the potential risks of the virus, its recommendation to use traditional virus scan programs from companies like Trend Micro, McAfee, and Symantec makes me wonder whether this is really an effective solution at all.
First, while Siemens says these security solutions can detect the Trojan, then why wasn’t it stopped by customers using such antivirus software in the first place? Since there has not been an example of malware targeting control systems to this point, in all likelihood even if the antivirus was fully updated the Trojan would have got there anyway.
Second, if their customers weren’t using such security solutions, then why in the world not? ( Read More… )
Most recent comment: Learning from the Stuxnet/WinCC Malware « Digital Bond's SCADA Security Portal
[...] I’m still a fan. CoreTrace, maker of the Bouncer application, has a blog related to Stuxnet here. They continue ...