I would say YES and develop a plan to get away
from MS Software period.
CIO Jury: Should you still be scared of malware?
Summary
While the recent Conficker worm may have turned out to be a damp squib, enterprises are still very much on their guard against malware.
Topics
While the recent Conficker worm may have turned out to be a damp squib, enterprises are still very much on their guard against malware.
Asked whether viruses are still a genuine threat to corporate IT security, 11 out of the 12 members of silicon.com's CIO Jury said they are.
With viruses seemingly not bringing down networks worldwide as they once did, some businesses could risk becoming complacent around their strategy - a danger Mike Cope, IT director at Virgin Atlantic, warned against.
"Complacency could lead to sloppy practices and a heightened risk that is not recognized until it is too late and an attack happens," he said.
It's a sentiment echoed by Steve Gediking, head of IT and facilities at the Independent Police Complaints Commission: "The danger will be if we let our guard down," he said.
For Neil Harvey, IT director at Sindlesham Court, while viruses are as much on the agenda as ever, they are easier to guard against.
They are "much more manageable than they used to be, simply because of increased awareness both of the issues and risks, and of what action to take when an infection occurs to minimize the impact", he said.
A number of organizations in recent months have been finding out about those actions: the UK Parliament, Barts and the London NHS Trust, five Sheffield hospitals and the Ministry of Defense have all been hit by viruses of late.
For many of silicon.com's CIO Jury, keeping an eye on viruses is just one part of a wider security strategy.
According to Richard Steel, CIO, London Borough of Newham, organizations are increasingly opening themselves up to new vectors of attack.
"[Viruses] remain a threat. All corporations now utilise advanced defenses against malicious software but we must remain on our toes as networks are increasingly opened-up to social computing and unified communications," he said.
Nicholas Bellenberg, IT director, Hachette Filipacchi, added: "They are part of a much wider pattern of risks and threats. You cannot ignore them, but you cannot obsess over one particular aspect of security and risk missing the bigger picture."
This CIO Jury was:
* Alan Balharrie, head of business IT, Scottish Parliament
* Alistair Behenna, CIO, Harvey Nash
* Nicholas Bellenberg, IT director, Hachette Filipacchi (UK)
* Mike Cope, IT director, Virgin Atlantic
* Pete Crowe, IT director, Fat Face
* Kevin Fitzpatrick, CIO Northern Europe, Sodexo
* Steve Gediking, head of IT and facilities, the Independent Police Complaints Commission
* Madhushan Gokool, IT manager, Storm Model Management
* Neil Harvey, IT director, Sindlesham Court
* John Keeling, director of computer services, John Lewis
* Jane Kimberlin, IT director, Domino's Pizza
* Richard Steel, CIO, London Borough of Newham
Talkback Most Recent of 16 Talkback(s)
-
Christian_<><21st Apr 2009 -
Yes, that makes alot of sense
cripple your entire business so you do not get one or two infected machines that should be handled easily.
Yes, that makes alot of sense.
GuidingLight21st Apr 2009 -
You only get crippled...
... if you've hired know-nothing MCSE's to begin with. You know the type - the one who specifies MS-only tech.
Did you recommend Silo-Maker, er. Share Point for your organization? Well there you go.
Conversely, if you have competent IT talent, this is not an issue.
SpikeyMike21st Apr 2009 -
re: crippled? with Microsoft software???
Are you kidding me?
It is funny, our Business do NOT use MS what-so-ever
and it is amazing we are immune to the constant
crippling effects of Microsoft and its INSECURE
software!
So you are telling me you can't do without
'Windows' you are kidding right?
I guess Red Hat is going out of business....
LOLChristian_<><21st Apr 2009 -
If you keep on top of best practices and patches, no.
If you keep on top of best practices and the latest security practices, no.
The vast majority of these infections come from three sources:
-The machines off in the corner that are forgotten and are still running some ancient OS that isn't supported anymore.
-People who just don't get the whole idea that if you get software from a morally questionable website or an unknown email, chances are the software you get is gonna also be questionable.
-People who turn off their security features. Whether it's because they think they "know better" or because "it's annoying," they're leaving themselves at risk.
If, however, you keep your PC up to date and follow basic security practices - no, you should not be scared. My PC hasn't had any major trouble for years.
CobraA121st Apr 2009 -
People have better things to do than patching
like actually do something useful.
InAction Man21st Apr 2009 -
Well, then I can see why they do not
purchase Apple.
How many patches have they done so far this latest release of OSX
GuidingLight21st Apr 2009 -
Sorry, all OSes need patches.
Sorry, all OSes need patches, Linux included. If you don't want to do patches every once in a while, then my advice is to stay off the Internet.CobraA121st Apr 2009 -
re: Sorry, all OSes need patches.
" If you don't want to do patches every once in a while , then my advice is ..." -- setup a cron job.
^o^
n0neXn0ne21st Apr 2009 -
Better still
Just leave the recommended settings on after installing Vista. Will patch less than any other desktop OS.
honeymonster21st Apr 2009 -
heh - well, okay, if you're into command line tools.
heh - well, okay, if you're into command line tools.
Last I checked, though, all major OSes have UI options to automate updates.CobraA121st Apr 2009 -
Some use Tools rather than Toys
But you look like an aspiring msce, so I'm not expecting you'll ever understand it.InAction Man21st Apr 2009 -
lol
lol! That's so silly.
A real tool is something that helps me accomplish real stuff in real life.
I shouldn't need to waste time setting up my OS before I use it.
Luckily, Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux all do updates automatically without requiring me to waste my time in some silly configuration file.CobraA121st Apr 2009 -
Indeed...
Like coming here and being an ABM shill, perhaps?
Hallowed are the Ori22nd Apr 2009 -
RE: CIO Jury: Should you still be scared of malware?
No, due to the Microsoft Windows security improvements most malware is DOA now. Microsoft Windows comes with built in security that will prompt you before running downloading any files - this is true for all web browsers - and prompt you before running any files. A user will need to go out of their way to get malware.
Loverock Davidson21st Apr 2009
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
Facebook Activity
