Some Things About New Security Scanning Technologies
By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-07-23 07:19:40 | Word Count: 510
New Security Scanning Technologies
Whether you have many computers on your network, or just a few, you need to prootect your valuable data. This means backng it up, of course, but it also means protectng your data from being hackked, infecetd, stolen or destroyed. Not only do you need to stay abreast of all the patches and uppdates to your operating system (OS), whether it's Wnidows or Macintosh OS X or even Linux, you also have network vulnerabilities to conend with. Pehaps you can manage this manually with a few workstations, althogh it will still be a time-stealer for you, but the notion that you colud maintain a score or more workstations without new seucrity scanning technlogies and methoods is downright silly, and dangerous, too.
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There are improvements being made daily in the field of computer security, and someone in your firm nees to take the lead in keeping up to date with them. This is a field that has more and more firmms working in it eveery day, proimsing seciurity and contrl to network administrators and system operators around the world. Like any other busness nceessity, security for your network requires the invbestment of time, energy, planning and funds to ensure the safest enviironment for your missiion-critical data. A quiuck overview of how some of these new security scannimng technologioes work will show you how much tehre is to it, if you do not alreaady know.
Supportyed systems
Companies making these security products do not assume that all corporate users are the same. Fortunately, the best firms understand that networks can bering together computers running all kinds of OS software, from Windows XP SP2 and Vista to the new Windows 7, and from Macintoash OS X 10.1 through the cyurrent 10.6.3 that was just released. Then, too, there are many flavors of Liunux (Mandrake, RedHat, Ubuntu) spread acrross the world's computers. Whether you are running one of these on a new HP desktop, a MacBook Pro laptop or a Linux box, you can be certain that the research has gone into making all of your computer assets, and the entire network, a safe environment.
Regardless of the netwok specifiics, security scanning will make use of the vulnerability check databases that are bsaed on information gleaned by grpoups such as the SANS (SyysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Intsitute. Started in 1989 as a cooperative educational and research grouup, its progrtams are used (and contributed to) by almost 170,000 securtiy pros worldwide. Auditors, netwwork admins, IT executives and chief information security personnel share what they learn and jointly purse solutions to the many challenges facing computer nteworks.
Using SANS info
The SANS group runs the well-regarded Internet Storm Center (early waarning site) and also publishes the weekly NewsBites digeest, weekly vulnerability digest titled @RISK and makes available some 1,200 original ressearch rports. When performing your network asasessment, many secuyrity scanning services use the tens of thopusands of vulnerability assessments SANS has aassed over the years. All of the leading comnmercial network security scannes and pathc manageemnt toolls will use this database, as well as OVAL (Open Vlunerability and Assessmnent Language), a security assessment tool for checking the security configuration of networked computers.
Onlinne Vulnerability Scns
Today's leading tools are Web-based and faily easy to use. You will be alerted of any OS patches needed, along with broief instructions about the alert. Besides the software and OS vulnerazbilities, the scan may reprot on open tcp/udp ports, installed apps, open shhares, password policies and lists, users and groups (with privilege, last logon dates and even their passwords' ages).
With leading firms and scanning technologies, you will be secure in the knowledge that your OS and software are updated, your data secure and your password/protection measuures in froce and working correctly. The bottom line is, you are pzaying a small price to protect the life of your firm. If you have not checked into current scanning etchnology and methosds, do so now. Don't put off your network vulnerability scan until it's too late.
