Pete Lindstrom of Spire Security has a great post [1] on some of the mania inherent to the possibility and reality of virus outbreaks. His little "experiment" on how to publicize a worm is entertaining. But it also underlies a couple of important issues.
- Virus writers seeking "fame" are not dead - There has been a lot of talk about how traditional viruses aimed just at annoyance or destruction of data are out of vogue, in lieu of new fraudsters using spam and viral propagation techniques for economic fraud. Clearly there are still some thrill seeking script kiddies still out there.
- The media will exacerbate the issue - By making a big deal out of each potential outbreak, the media is not helping the situation, tending to create hysteria because it results in more page views. But that is their job, so it's not going to change.
- Security requires constant vigilance - You cannot take your eye off the ball. Make sure you have up to date patches. Make sure desktops have AV and anti-spyware. Block all you can at the perimeter of your network. But DON'T BECOME COMPLACENT.
- User training is still important - I haven't dug into the Incite on security training [1] (that will happen later this week), but it's critical. Educated users are a very effective defense against viruses like Nyxem, which requires users to click on an explicit picture.
I was quoted in an SC Magazine story [2] about a public website that gave instructions on how to build Trojans. We are going to see more of this and there is nothing we can do about it. We (at least in the US) have built our country on liberty and free speech. So people publishing guides on how to hack is not a crime. The FBI may disagree with me on that, but that's my opinion.
This increasing amount of information is going to result in more amateurish attacks, which may be promoted in non-conventional ways. But these attacks that are dangerous nonetheless. SO keep your eye on the ball and keep your networks protected.