Part 3

Most people like the convenience of wireless access, and so it is true for companies.  It is a quick way to connect to the internet and keeps you from being tethered to a desk or a wall.  However, for every convenience, there is an associated amount of risk.  That same wireless network offers an easy access portal into a network, and any cracker with a high powered receiver can tap into that network without the need to be close by.  If there is no data on the network, or it is properly segmented, then there is not much of an issue, but if a company has valuable data on that network, it is up to management to determine if the convenience is worth the risk, and at the very least, should take steps to secure it.

Patch management solutions provide users the opportunity to secure this valuable data.  Given the complexity of operating systems, vulnerabilities can be found everywhere.  This is true for all operating systems, as Linux, Apple, and others are just as vulnerable as Microsoft.   As such, rapid patch management is vital, and this is especially true in an age where code taking advantage of an exploit is usually available within a few hours.  End users, or normal use users, however, do not see it that way.  They do not like their systems being rebooted at night or during the day.  It is inconvenient and slows them down, and they could lose data too if they did not save it.  Unfortunately, their solution is to not do it, or bypass the system.   Virus scans can be bypassed as well, as they tend to be cumbersome on system resources.  End users are also very possessive of their administrative rights, but what they fail to realize is that the simple act of surfing the web with an administrative account opens their system to a host of vulnerabilities that the best patch management and virus scanning systems in the world cannot protect them from.

Small business IT support can be guilty here too, as they are often paid by the hour, and one of the biggest sources of client calls comes in the form of clients looking to remove spyware and malware from an infected system.  They are then faced with a dilemma.  To encourage good practice, they can make appropriate recommendations to management to cut down on the spyware and malware issues.  However, this will not be popular with employees because they are running the risk of cutting off a revenue source.  This problem underscores a huge failure of the present managed services business model. 

The end result for small businesses (and many large businesses for that matter) is that their data is not protected.  While most of the visible threats typically come in the form of increased spam or having your system incorporated into a spam bot, it is the invisible threats that are far more dangerous.  Talented crackers will cover their tracks, and in many cases, a business will never know it was hit. 

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