Security Management Strategies for the CIORequires Free Membership to View
The best way to battle viruses is still by using up-to-date antivirus programs and definitions from the major antivirus vendors. Depending on your risk and budget, a multi-layered approach covering desktops, servers and gateways in that order is best. Ideally, use a mix of products from different vendors, so that a flaw or missing signature in one product is covered by another. Obviously that adds to the cost and complexity of the solution, so that approach may not be feasible for everyone. There are a few "free" antivirus programs out there, but they are mostly for non-commercial use only.
There are frequent questions in the Snort-users mailing list about using Snort to detect viruses and worms. Using Snort for this purpose is not ideal, since by the time any IDS (intrusion-detection system) detects the infection it's already too late. In some environments (notably education) this may be your only option. Join the Snort-users and Snort-sigs lists, and read the archives for more information.
As far as prevention goes, again you need a layered approach that begins with policies and user education, and encompasses antivirus software, strict firewall rules and hardening all your hosts as much as possible. One particular challenge is the laptop user who plugs into an unprotected broadband at home, gets infected, then brings the infection back inside the firewall on Monday morning. You need to have an e-mail policy and make sure all users are educated about these dangers.
Read JP Vossen's complete response here.
This was first published in March 2004
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