In response to increasing cyber threats targeting the U.S. government, defense contractors and the nation’s critical infrastructure, the Department of Defense released its new strategy for protecting our nation’s systems and networks from cyber attacks. While it’s a nice first step, many critics are wondering if the government can actually pull it off. In the same vein, the shift to virtualization has many businesses re-thinking their existing security approaches. Will virtualization mark the end of traditional host-based antivirus solutions as we know it? Here are some of the top endpoint security stories for July 2011.

DoD’s cybersecurity plan creates more questions than answers

In July, the Department of Defense released its new strategy for operating in cyberspace, and how it plans to protect our nation’s computer systems and networks from cyber attacks. The plan includes a number of initiatives such as treating cyberspace as a domain it defends (with land, air, sea and space), introducing new network defenses to detect and stop malicious code, coordinating with the private sector, and working with other countries. However, in the article, “Critics: U.S. cyber security plan has holes, few new items,” the document has many analysts like Rich Mogull of Securosis wondering if the DoD can pull it off. Continue reading this post…