Executives Question the Value of AntiVirus Subscriptions; Enterprise Alternatives Available Now.
High profile AntiVirus failures causing executives to doubt the value of AntiVirus subscriptions. AntiVirus vendors clinging to subscription models despite practical enterprise alternatives from other security providers.
Chantilly, VA (PRWEB) January 26, 2010 -- Following the highly publicized and successful malware attacks on Google, Symantec, Adobe, Dow Chemical, and others, business and government executives are questioning the value of their AntiVirus subscriptions. Their unprecedented skepticism will grow even more intense as more executives learn that all of these successful attacks were easily preventable.
"In almost every meeting I’ve had since the mainstream media started reporting on these highly visible failures, executives and IT personnel have criticized their AntiVirus computer protection. This Aurora/Hydra outbreak could spark a big change in 2010 enterprise IT security spending, a multi-billion dollar change”, predicts Mike Fumai, CEO of Blue Ridge Networks.
There’s nothing particularly novel about the exploitable vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer this month, or those in Adobe Acrobat Reader last month. These are merely new entries in a formulaic story re-written almost monthly. Last week’s out-of-cycle security patch from Microsoft is just a less frequently seen plot twist. Until now, these recurring stories only served to increase spending on AntiVirus software from well-known security vendors. However, these targeted organizations with deep pockets and large IT security staffs were successfully attacked because their name-brand AntiVirus software did not have signatures to detect the malware attack code.
It was NEW malware that eluded detection by signature-based AntiVirus software. Botnets birth a generation of NEW malware every 10 minutes, which has a life-span of less than 48 hours. The enterprise must focus on computer protection from this NEW malware. The threat from NEW malware, particularly that from Botnets, motivated Symantec to state in its ‘2010 Security Predictions’ that “AntiVirus is Not Enough”.
Well-known and little-known security vendors offer security software products that block NEW malware attacks. Many vendors include host intrusion prevention system (HIPS) features in their massive endpoint security suites. For years, these features have effectively been given away for free but are seldom utilized because of their complexity. The Washington Post’s report that Symantec was successfully attacked suggests that Symantec does not use its HIPS features either. Symantec, McAfee, and other subscription-based AntiVirus vendors have recently begun featuring an additional blacklisting feature that blocks web addresses known to be serving malware. This new functionality is subscription based.
“Instead of making zero-day protection simple and usable for all, most security vendors seem determined to find ways to renew and sustain their subscription revenues. We know that zero day protection from NEW malware attacks can be simple, usable for all, without having to be subscription-based. We know this, because we’ve done it”, observed Mike Fumai. “The critical difference between our AppGuard Enterprise and HIPS features is that AppGuard Enterprise is always enabled and protecting its hosts because it’s easy to do so, whereas HIPS features lie dormant because they’re too difficult to use. These Aurora/Hydra attacks were all too preventable!”
AppGuard Enterprise, “Best Anti-Malware Product”, Government Security News, Homeland Security Awards
About Blue Ridge Networks
Formed in 1993, Blue Ridge Networks has developed and delivered information security product and managed service solutions that protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data in motion through untrusted networks as well as data at rest on computers at risk from careless end-users, local network attacks, or malicious software. There has never been a reported security breach or vulnerability in any Blue Ridge solution. Many Blue Ridge solutions have numerous government certifications.
Media Contact:
Mike Fumai, CEO
Blue Ridge Networks
email: mfumai@blueridgenetworks.com
(703) 631-0702
All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.