Super Worms Circumvent Traditional Computer Security
Draper, Utah—May 19, 2005— Faced with the Sober.P e-mail worm and other increasingly sophisticated attacks, savvy organizations must complement their existing anti-virus and firewall arsenals with location-aware endpoint security solutions, recommended Senforce Technologies Inc. Rather than keeping up with modern-day hackers, such endpoint security solutions keep enterprises and government agencies one step ahead of evolving digital risks.
Indeed, the latest worms and viruses circumvent traditional computer security defenses and threaten to infect millions of systems worldwide, according to Senforce researchers.
However, the Senforce Endpoint Security Suite safeguards PCs and notebooks from current threats like the Sober.P e-mail worm, and future threats—thereby complementing traditional anti-virus measures. In addition to providing trusted endpoint security, Senforce is offering organizations a free whitepaper to help technology executives prioritize their IT security efforts (see www.senforce.com “Security Information”).
Government and enterprise customers are embracing Senforce endpoint security software to gain peace of mind. The software adds a new layer of defense to a strategy that supports an effective defense in depth approach, blocking worms and viruses from deactivating firewalls, anti-virus software, Windows updates and other defense measures that maintain PC health. Without endpoint security in place, unsuspecting users have little or no protection as additional worms and viruses flood PCs that suffer from deactivated anti-virus software.
“This is an inflection point for security professionals, chief information officers and other executives who are charged with keeping corporate systems secure,” asserts Mike Hall, president and CEO of Senforce. “It’s time for businesses to rethink the way they safeguard their desktops and mobile systems. It’s time for progressive endpoint security that keeps organizations ahead of hackers.”
When combating such threats, too many organizations continue to focus on antiquated perimeter defense systems designed in the 1990s. As organizations have evolved to support mobile and wireless users, distant customers and online partners, the traditional corporate perimeter has disappeared, leaving hackers with multiple target points to attack.
“The perimeter is now porous and blurry at best,” asserts Hall. “It’s time for organizations to practice good endpoint security. This approach stops the propagation of threats from subverting the perimeter at a deeper level.”
Customers can also download the free whitepaper, “The Perils of Unsecured Endpoints,” from the Senforce Web site (http://www.senforce.com/whitepaper.htm).
Evolving Threats
Much like the recent Sober.P e-mail worm, future viruses are expected to exploit structural weakness in the Microsoft Windows Firewall, Windows Update and anti-virus software to disable each service. To safeguard against such threats, organizations should tell end-users to delete any messages from unfamiliar/suspicious senders with attachments, and to never under any circumstances open unfamiliar attachments. The worm is not able to infect machines that have the latest antivirus updates.
Although Sober.P didn’t contain a destructive payload, future malware might do far more damage. Security Administrators should ensure that firewall mechanisms and anti-virus software are applied both at the corporate perimeter and at the individual endpoints. Moreover, endpoints must be able to detect when update mechanisms or antivirus engines are disabled, and immediately take appropriate remedial action, as well as issue appropriate security alerts to administrators.
About Senforce Technologies Inc.
Senforce Technologies is the leader in policy-enforced endpoint security. Senforce Endpoint Security Suite (ESS) enables IT managers to centrally create, manage and enforce security policies to protect corporate data on endpoint devices, automate security practices and enforce regulatory compliance such as Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA and DoD 8100.2. Senforce protects users regardless of location or method of accessing a wired or wireless network. Proven across large and small enterprises, as well as government agencies, ESS delivers both driver- and application-layer solutions to provide the most advanced protection against hackers, malware, device theft, wireless threats and other endpoint security vulnerabilities. The company is headquartered in Draper, Utah. Senforce is privately-held and funded by Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, vSpring Capital, Rocket Ventures, American River Ventures and EsNet Group. For more information, visit www.senforce.com or call 1-877-844-5430.