Dynamic duo call for companies to go back to basics as virus
security remains untouched
Two of the world's most experienced computer virus fighters -
Sophos's Paul Ducklin and Graham Cluley (who recently left Dr.
Solomon's/Network Associates to join Sophos) are to host stand
20G88 at the Networks Telecom show at the NEC, Birmingham, UK.
They will be available to provide one-to-one consultancy,
covering advice on current trends in virus writing, the new face of
the threat, and unique research into new industry "safety
features", such as the use of digital signatures for virus
protection in Office 2000 and Windows 2000.
Anti-virus specialist Sophos is calling for companies to go back
to basics and reassess their computer security following a stream
of calls from multinationals during the recent outbreaks of
network-aware viruses.
Network managers are constantly upgrading their systems as more
leading-edge technology is launched into the market. Policies and
procedures for anti-virus protection, however, rarely mirror this,
leaving companies exposed to the threat of infection.
"As demand for more sophisticated networking technology grows,
vendors continue to develop and supply the kit," said Paul Ducklin,
head of research at Sophos. "As network complexity increases, so
does the complexity of staying secure. Anyone who thinks they can
continue upgrading their network without upgrading their security
is sadly mistaken."
"After the chaos caused by the Melissa and CIH viruses, most
companies learnt a lesson and were able to react a lot faster to
last week's ExploreZip worm attack. However, there is still a great
deal of room for improvement. Viruses appear and hit networks so
quickly, IT managers need to put in place procedures for the
constant review and update of security, whatever the size of their
company," he added.
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Paul Ducklin (Head of Research): He joined
Sophos from the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research and is a respected industry figure and public
speaker. |
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Graham Cluley (Senior Technology
Consultant): Spent seven years with Dr Solomon's Software before
joining Sophos in 1999. He has given talks around the world on the
subject of computer viruses and is a respected industry
figure. |
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Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.