Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Deluge of Security Threats Overwhelms I-Managers

    By
    eWEEK EDITORS
    -
    August 13, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      System vulnerabilities — holes through which intruders may crawl inside your servers — are cropping up at a rate six or seven per day, a pace that strains the resources of most system administrators, security experts say.

      Many such vulnerabilities are minor enough that I-managers can wait for them to be fixed in the next release of an operating system (OS) or Web browser. But some holes, such as the recently identified buffer-overflow exposure of Microsofts Internet Information Server, can leave Web sites open to attack. Although the IIS vulnerability could easily be fixed with a patch that Microsoft posted June 18, a malicious worm called Code Red had no trouble propagating itself to 250,000 unpatched IIS servers in nine hours when it was launched on July 19.

      The Code Red incident left little doubt that the most serious security risks for Internet businesses are not just the holes in the software, but also the time lag in closing them. A major hazard lies in the fact that a worm to exploit the IIS exposure was ready about four weeks after the patch was created — and during those weeks, many system administrators had not bothered to fix their systems.

      Hackers “are moving up the software stack” to the Web server, database server and application server, says Chris Rouland, director of X-Force, the research arm of security software vendor Internet Security Systems.

      In 1996, only about five new system vulnerabilities showed up each month. Today, there are 200 new vulnerabilities per month, Rouland says, and system administrators are hard-pressed to pay attention to those that most directly affect them.

      “Its an enormous number of patches to keep up with. I think its a losing proposition” for many administrators, says John Garber, chief strategic officer of Cryptek Secure Communications, a security firm whose intrusion detection systems shield data and applications.

      Says Rouland: “There is a requirement for tools that automatically look for vulnerabilities,” which might tell the administrator what patches are needed.

      Antivirus software suppliers such as McAfee.com and Symantec have long provided virus signature updates from their Web sites, and they can even automatically distribute those updates to corporate servers when a new virus is discovered. Customers then administer the updates themselves throughout their organizations from a centralized server.

      But OS and Web server vendors cant simply automatically update their products on customers sites in the same way. Every site has its own configuration and set of applications running on the system, and customers want to test patches before loading them into their production environments, Garber says.

      The closest thing to automated patching comes from new security services that, for a fee, keep your systems up to date and protected. Security intelligence firms, including iDefense and Vigilinx, can provide such a service based on specific customer environments.

      “Administrators dont have to update their own systems,” says David Endler, iDefenses practice manager. “We can find the patch and apply it across the organization with network management tools.” IDefenses iAlert service costs $15,000 per year for a three-administrator license.

      But no matter how sophisticated automated processes are, says Jerry Freese, Vigilinxs director of intelligence, “theres still no substitute for human vigilance.”

      eWEEK EDITORS
      eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×