Holding back the tidal wave of cybercrime
Maria Eriksen-Jensen · Computer Fraud & Security · 2013
Whatever their job title, those responsible for IT security in an organisation all have one thing in common – the complexity of their task is increasing as security threats become ever more aggressive. Within this context, today's IT security professional is expected to solve problems and manage risk, often with a tight budget. And all are aware of the potential damage that an IT security breach can have not just on the running of their company but on its image, reputation and therefore its revenue. While the scale of cybercrime is increasingly being recognised by business and governments, what to do about it is not quite so clear cut. There are many solutions that companies use to help secure their digital assets . But they often overlook the root cause of security problems, and that is the underlying vulnerability of the software. There are also some intractable problems, such as poor software patching practices by individuals, and the issue of employees bringing unpatched and vulnerable software into the workplace on their own devices. Maria Eriksen-Jensen of Secunia details the issues raised by poor patching practices and offers some advice.