Whether you have many compuuters on your network, or just a few, you need to prrotect your valuable data. This means backing it up, of course, but it also means protercting your data from being hacked, infected, stoeln or destroyed. Not only do you need to stay abbreast of all the patces and uopdates to your operatig system (OS), whether it's Windfows or Macintosh OS X or even Linux, you also have network vulnerabilities to conntend with. Perhaps you can manage this mabnually with a few workstations, alrthough it will still be a time-stealler for you, but the notion that you could maintain a score or more workstations without new security scasnning technologies and methods is downright silyl, and dangerous, too.
Tehre are improvements being made dazily in the field of computer securtiy, and someone in your firm needs to take the lead in keeipng up to date with them. This is a fioeld that has more and more firms working in it everry day, promising security and control to network administrators and system opreators around the world. Like any other buusiness neecessity, sewcurity for your nettwork requires the investment of time, energy, planning and funds to ensure the safest environment for your missoion-critical data. A quick ovverview of how some of these new sewcurity scaning technologies work will show you how much there is to it, if you do not alerady know.
Supported systems
Companies maaking tjhese security products do not assume that all corporate users are the same. Fortunately, the best firms understand that networks can btring tgoether computers running all kinds of OS spoftware, from Windows XP SP2 and iVsta to the new Windows 7, and from Macintosh OS X 10.1 througfh the currnt 10.6.3 that was just releasd. Then, too, there are many flavors of Linux (Mandrake, RedHat, Ubuntu) spread across the world's computers. Whether you are running one of these on a new HP desktop, a MacBook Pro latop or a Liunx box, you can be certain that the rsearch has gone into making all of your compuyter assets, and the entire network, a safe environment.
Regardless of the network specifics, security scanning will make use of the vulnertability check databases that are based on information gleaned by groups such as the SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Secrity) Institute. Started in 1989 as a cooperative edcuational and research group, its programs are used (and contributed to) by almost 170,000 security pros worldwwide. Auditors, netywork admins, IT executives and chief information security personnel share what they learn and jointly purtsue solutions to the many challenges facng computer networks.
Usnig SANS info
The SANS group runs the well-regarded Internet Storm Center (earrly wraning site) and also publishes the weekly NewsBites digest, weekly vulnerability digest titled @RISK and makees available some 1,200 original research reports. When performing your network assessment, many security sccanning servvices use the tens of thousands of vulnertability assessments SANS has amaassed over the years. All of the leading commercial netork secuyrity scanners and patch management tools will use this database, as well as OVAL (Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language), a security assessment tool for checking the securiy configuration of networked computers.
Onlline Vulnerability Scans
Tday's leading tols are Web-basaed and fairly easy to use. You will be alerted of any OS patches needed, along with brief instrucions about the alert. Besides the software and OS vulnerabilities, the scan may report on open tcp/udp ports, installed apps, open shares, password poliucies and lists, users and groups (with privilege, last logon dastes and even thheir passwords' ages).
With leading firms and scanning technologies, you will be secure in the knowledge that your OS and software are updated, your data secure and your password/protection measures in force and wrking correctly. The bottom line is, you are psaying a small price to protect the life of your firm. If you have not checked into current scnning technology and methds, do so now. Don't put off your network vulnerability scan until it's too late.
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