According to the recent 2005 CSI/FBI`s Computer Crime and Security Survey an estimated US$43 million dollars were lost to companies as a result of virus onslaughts.
This trend is also mirrored by a similar survey from Australia which reported that 50 percent of respondents indicated financial losses due to virus, worms or Trojan infections (2005 Australian Computer Crime and Security Survey).
More significantly, 96 percent of the CS/FBI survey respondents indicated that they have deployed anti-virus software.
In light of the above, it has become very apparent that the virus, worm and spam onslaughts continue to cause havoc amongst some of the world`s most prominent and less prominent companies.
The reality is that a comprehensive content security strategy is needed to fight the above; driven by principles and corporate policies that are signed and accepted by users.
With policies in hand companies should then opt for a solution that will interpret administrative controls into the technical solution for execution, enforcement and reporting. Some of the key requirements that organisations should look for within such a toolset are:
* Enhanced spam-filtering technologies;
* Expanded reporting;
* Web-based GUI for end-user quarantine management;
* Role-based administration;
* Active Directory support;
* New search capabilities for quarantine management;
* Improved white-list management; and
* Integration to anti-virus and pest management.
Demystifying some of the above technologies - an enhanced spam-filtering solution, for example, will provide automated updates to spam databases that are key to fighting system congestion, loss of privacy and overall productivity losses.
Web-based GUI for end-user quarantine management on the other hand allows users to self administrate, enabling the establishment of usage policies. This self administration should extend to the release of quarantined e-mail, managing your own white and black lists for e-mail as well as requesting access to blocked web sites.
When looking at integration to anti-virus and pest management, gateway e-mail scanning must include content inspection for malicious content as well as good integration with desktop and server anti-virus.
Importantly, managing a single technical control that covers the space of desktop content security that encompasses anti-virus and pest management (Spyware, Adware, Trojans, Keyloggers, P2P Threats, Hacker Tools, DDOS Attack Agents, Browser Helper Objects and selected Commercial Administration Tools (VNC, RADMIN, PCANYWHERE etc.) are key.
The release of CA Integrated Threat Management (ITM) Beta in September 2005 heralds a new opportunity for systems integrators who are seeking to provide a more complete solution to their customers.
From the SME to large corporate companies, the deployment of CA ITM can reduce the management overhead through the deployment of a single solution for anti-virus and pest management.
CA ITM is a key building block that allows system integrators to implement a complete e-content security policy. The release of CA SCM will complete this vision allowing our systems integrators for fully control the e-content security space with one comprehensive suite of software covered under one license from one vendor, one maintenance contracts, and one systems integrator.
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