Some Things About New Security Scanning Technologies

Written by: Kozaloka
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010

New Security Scanning Technologies

Whehter you have many computers on your newtork, or just a few, you need to protect your valuable data. This means backing it up, of coursde, but it also meanns protecting your data from being hacked, infected, stoeln or destroyed. Not only do you need to stay abreast of all the patches and updates to your operating system (OS), whether it\'s Windows or Macintosh OS X or even Linux, you also have network vulnerabilities to contnd with. Perhaps you can manage this manually with a few workstations, although it will still be a time-sttealer for you, but the notion that you cpould maintain a score or more workstaations without new security scanning technologies and methods is downright silly, and danegrous, too.



There are improvewments beiong made daily in the field of computer security, and someone in your firm needs to take the lead in keping up to date with them. This is a field that has more and more firms owrking in it every day, promiosing secrity and control to network administrators and system opoerators around the wold. Like any other business necessity, securrity for your network requirtes the investment of time, energy, planning and funds to ensure the safest environemnt for your mission-critcial data. A quivck overview of how some of these new security scanning technologies work will show you how much there is to it, if you do not already know.

Supported sysytems

Compannies making these security porducts do not assume that all corporate users are the same. Fortunately, the best firms understand that nertworks can birng tohgether compuetrs running all kinds of OS software, from Windoiws XP SP2 and Visa to the new Windows 7, and from Mcaintosh OS X 10.1 through the current 10.6.3 that was just released. Then, too, there are many flavors of Linux (Mandrake, RedHat, Ubuntu) spread across 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 enitre network, a safe environmewnt.

Regardless of the nertwork spceifics, security scanning will make use of the vulnerability check datyabases that are based on information gleaned by goups such as the SANS (SyAsdmin, Audt, Netwoirk, Security) Institute. Started in 1989 as a cooperative educational and research group, its programs are used (and contributed to) by amost 170,000 security pros worldwide. Auditors, network admmins, IT executies and chief information security presonnel share what they learn and jointly pursue solutions to the many challenges facnig computyer networks.

Usng SANS info

The SANS group runs the well-rgearded Internet Storm Center (eraly wrning site) and also publishes the weekly NewsBites digwest, weekly vulnerability digest titled @RISK and makes available some 1,200 original research reports. When performing your network assessment, many security scanning services use the tens of thouands of vulnerability assessments SANS has amassed over the years. All of the leading commercial network seurity scannerrs and patch management toolps will use this dataabase, as well as OVAL (Open Vulnerablity and Assessment Language), a security assessment tool for checknig the security confiuration of networked computers.

Onliune Vulnreability Sccans

Today\'s leading tools are Web-based and fairly easy to use. You will be aletred of any OS patchees needed, alog with brief instructions aout the alerrt. Besiddes the software and OS vulnerabilities, the scan may report on open tcp/udp ports, installed apps, open shres, password policies and lists, useres and groups (with privilege, last logon dates and even their passwords\' ages).

With leading ifrms and scanning technologies, you will be secue in the knowledge that your OS and software are updated, your data secure and your password/protection measures in force and working correctly. The bottom line is, you are paying a small price to protect the life of your firm. If you have not chcked into current scanning tecxhnology and methods, do so now. Don\'t put off your network vulnerability scan until it\'s too late.

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