The Risks of Desktop Security Software - Part 1

Written by Tim Klemmer


Continued from page 1

This information is generally available all overrepparttar web and in manuals for operating systems, especially manuals on such subjects asrepparttar 133404 Windows Registry. But havingrepparttar 133405 software teach you where things belong to be effective is powerful knowledge.

Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, isrepparttar 133406 issue of forebearance. The anti-virus vendors usually know more aboutrepparttar 133407 potential exploits inherent in programs than virus authors but they are bound byrepparttar 133408 fact that should they try to prevent them beforerepparttar 133409 exploits occur, they could be branded as irresponsible for teaching virus authors about these very exploits.

For example, when Microsoft first releasedrepparttar 133410 macro capabilities of Word, anti-virus vendors immediately realizedrepparttar 133411 potential for danger in macros, but they were handcuffed. If they released software that disabled macros beforerepparttar 133412 first macro virus was ever released, they would signal to virus authorsrepparttar 133413 inherent destructive powers of macros. They chose instead to wait, handcuffed byrepparttar 133414 limitations of desktop software.

Untilrepparttar 133415 Internet there really has been no better medium for delivering virus solutions than desktop software. It was relatively inexpensive to deploy (either marketrepparttar 133416 software and sell it in stores or provide free downloads on bulletin boards and web sites). It is, however, expensive to keep updated in terms of time and effort, even with automated update systems.

The Internet caused several things to happen: by becoming a powerful medium for sharing files, whole families of viruses disappeared practically overnight (boot sector viruses, for example); by becomingrepparttar 133417 option of choice for sharing files, it was easier to infect a single file and have thousands download it.

A better solution is to placerepparttar 133418 security software in an offsite appliance of its own making. All Internet, intranet, networking connections flow throughrepparttar 133419 appliance.

Selling offrepparttar 133420 shelf hardware appliances with built-in security software is better than a desktop software solution but it still suffers –to a lesser extent- fromrepparttar 133421 pratfalls that desktop software falls prey to.

Even better is to create a service that a 3rd party vendor manages in a secure environment. In such an instance bothrepparttar 133422 software andrepparttar 133423 hardware are away fromrepparttar 133424 prying eyes ofrepparttar 133425 malicious software authors. This further reducesrepparttar 133426 opportunity for malicious authors to discoverrepparttar 133427 tricks and techniques employed byrepparttar 133428 security vendors to protect you.

Tim Klemmer CEO, OnceRed LLC http://www.checkinmyemail.com Tim Klemmer has spent the better part of 12 years designing and perfecting the first patented behavior-based solution to malicious software.




Desktop Security Software Risks - Part 2

Written by Tim Klemmer


Continued from page 1
Updates Havingrepparttar software on your desktop means you are responsible for maintaining that software. Inrepparttar 133403 case of office productivity software or image editing software, if new versions come out with features you’re not interested in, you don’t update. With new viruses appearing onrepparttar 133404 landscape every day, you can’t afford not to continually update your software. If you don’t update for a month or two, you run severe risks of infection. You also will incur potential long update cycles as your software has to be upgraded to handle allrepparttar 133405 new threats. This makesrepparttar 133406 desktop these days a somewhat ineffective solution. Nearly two-thirds of allrepparttar 133407 PCs that have anti-virus protection installed do not update their definitions regularly. These PCs might as well uninstallrepparttar 133408 software for allrepparttar 133409 good it’s doing them. Lost Time As mentioned inrepparttar 133410 above discussion, you can lose considerable time if you don’t update regularly. Long intervals between updates can translate into long update cycles. If you have a slow connection to a vendor, your down time is much longer as you have to wait forrepparttar 133411 files to be downloaded and then you have to wait for your software to update itself. Solution The better solution is to move to a centralized solution in which allrepparttar 133412 software, allrepparttar 133413 updates arerepparttar 133414 responsibility ofrepparttar 133415 service provider. You pay forrepparttar 133416 service of having your email cleaned before you receive it. When email arrives at your service provider’s mailbox, it is checked for malicious tendencies and stripped if bad. You notice no long waiting, no downtime, no drag, no incompatibilities.

Tim Klemmer CEO, OnceRed LLC http://www.checkinmyemail.com Tim Klemmer has spent the better part of 12 years designing and perfecting the first patented behavior-based solution to malicious software.


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