Posted by John DiDonato
IBM recently released their comprehensive annual Trend and Risk Report. We find this report very helpful in educating our customers about the threats that are especially relavent today especially with the rise of social media, the cloud and mobiliity.
During 2011, there have been some areas of improvement. For instance, software vendors have improved on providing a patch or fix to a security vulnerability that was publically disclosed in their software. Thus, it is important that organizations have a means to deploy these patches (e.g. Adobe, Java, Browser plug-ins, media players, etc.) to their endpoints in a timely and efficient manner or the risk will still exist. Visit our preferred Patching solution, if you would like to have visibility and control over all your endpoints (e.g. servers, laptops, desktops, mobile phones, etc.) from one console across a variety of platforms.
As expected, with the improvements in the overall security of Internet software, attackers have adapted their techniques in response to these efforts. Highlights include:
- High and critical browser vulnerabilities continue to rise and X-Force observed increases in drive-by-download attacks that have moved to targeting third party browser plug-ins rather than the browser itself
- IBM researchers continued to see increases in the number of vulnerabilities disclosed in multimedia players
- With regards to mobile devices, large botnets of infected mobile devices have started to appear on the scene
- On the topic of cloud security the question is not whether the cloud is more or less secure, but what specific controls, and business processes, should we focus upon to address risk and help ensure security in this environment
- Social media is no longer a fringe pastime - With the widespread adoption of social media platforms and social technologies, this area has become a target of attacker activity. IBM X-Force observed a surge in phishing emails impersonating social media sites.
- Increases in SSH brute forcing, Shell command injection activity, and proxy bouncing continue to rank at the top of IBM Managed Security Services sensor traffic
- Increases in Mac malware have been seen with functionalities previously only seen in Windows® malware
- Improvements in the quality of software being produced by customers who use AppScan OnDemand service to analyze, find, and fix vulnerabilities in their code
- X-Force witnessed a significant decline in the number of publically released exploits
- Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) was found in 28 percent of tests undertaken, down from 59 percent in 2010
- SQL injection continued to be a major exploited weakness
The Value and Benefits of IBM X-Force:
- The IBM X-Force Research & Development team analyzes over 14 billion Web pages and images, billions of intrusion attempts daily, 40 million spam and phishing attacks, and 54 thousand documented vulnerabilities.
- The X-Force Team provides specific analysis of vulnerabilities and exploits, malicious/unwanted websites, spam and phishing, malware, and other emerging trends.
- The IBM X-Force team is one of the best-known commercial security research groups in the world. In accordance with their mission, this group of security experts researches and evaluates threat and protection issues, delivers security protection for today’s security problems, develops new technology for tomorrow’s security challenges, and educates the media and user communities.
Posted by John DiDonato
Medina, Ohio – IBM recently announced Wolcott Group, a leading information technology consulting, services and software firm located in Medina, Ohio, as a preferred reseller of the IBM Tivoli Endpoint Manager Product line.
Wolcott Group continues to broaden its security offerings beyond threats such as spam and viruses to full endpoint management. IBM’s Tivoli Endpoint Manager (powered by BigFix) uses a lightweight agent (< 2% of the CPU and 1MB of RAM) which continually works to protect the endpoint even when it is not connected to the corporate network, making this product an ideal solution for companies of all sizes. As a reseller of IBM Tivoli Endpoint Manager, Wolcott offers a cost effective solution which provides a holistic approach to managing desktops, laptops, mobile devices (Apple, Android), servers and point of sale devices across a variety of operating systems (e.g. Windows, Linux, Apple) via a single console.
Security threats for computing endpoints of all operating systems are under attack as highlighted in the comprehensive "IBM X-Force 2011 Trend and Risk Report" (click to download a copy). Keeping abreast of the evolving changes and updates is both time consuming and costly. Tivoli Endpoint Manager facilitates management from one console, be it Mac, Windows, Unix or Linux, thus providing management one place to look and one view of the environment. A real-time, always-on agent with near real-time reporting capabilities will allow top level managers to gain awareness of the status of patching cycles and other threats.
To learn how Wolcott can assist with securing your endpoints and mobile devices visit our Endpoint Management page at http://wolcottgroup.com/endpoint-management/
About Wolcott Group
Wolcott Group is an information technology consulting, services and product firm focused on messaging, identity management, security and integration. Wolcott’s experienced solution teams utilize best practice information, solid implementation methodologies and partner relationships to aid customers in maximizing the benefits of their IT investment. Wolcott Group has proven experience in projects worldwide, delivering value to Fortune 1000 companies as well as growth-oriented companies. For additional information, visit www.wolcottgroup.com.