David Attard, Product Manager for GFI WebMonitor

Long gone are the days when system security was about little more than choosing an effective antivirus product.

Threats to IT security now come from several different angles, and companies wishing to avoid the costs and reputational damage associated with security breaches must take a multi-faceted approach.

In this article, we speak to David Attard, a GFI product manager specializing in Web security, about the threats facing modern, connected businesses.

How has the IT security landscape changed in recent years?

The biggest change has been a move away from traditional viruses and Trojans. Of course these still exist, and there are multitudes of them, but some of the scariest threats nowadays are those posed by social engineering and phishing, which take advantage of user naivety rather than holes in an infrastructure. Moreover, malware is pushed aggressively to victims. Rather than a chance encounter with a virus on a dodgy website, even the most educated and wary of users are likely to encounter malware being pushed to them via what is perceived as “normal” web browsing such as search engines, news and social networking sites.

Also, there are various downloads which are likely to contain malware. Research by Microsoft suggests that 1 in 14 downloads is actually malicious.

How should IT departments respond to this?

It’s now essential that companies take a multi-layered view of IT security. At the top level, this means doing all you can to prevent users accessing compromised areas of the Web by using content filtering – but it shouldn’t stop there.

If users are able to inadvertently access a malware-infected site, companies need to know that their machines are sufficiently patched and protected to prevent hackers taking advantage of exploits.

Finally, businesses need to ensure that other routes into the network are protected; there’s no point in having perfect Web security if a user can introduce malware by plugging in an infected USB stick or connecting their personal laptop or other device to the network without any mitigating security practices in place.

Do businesses have good reason to be alarmed by how malware is evolving?

If they’re not protected at every level, then definitely. Phishing is a particular concern, as compromised sites can look so genuine that they fool a large proportion of people. Obviously the ideal scenario is to use software that protects users from being tricked in the first instance, but user education is clearly very important too.

You only have to look at how many high-profile Twitter accounts have been hacked to know how real this threat is. The Syrian Electronic Army compromised many accounts with targeted phishing emails that convinced people sufficiently to give up their credentials.

Do SMEs need to worry as much as larger companies?

Yes, because (arguably) they are easier targets, with smaller budgets for IT security and it is essentially a game of numbers. Create large scale scatter shot and many victims are bound to get caught in the crossfire. We are also seeing a trend towards Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), where hackers persistently target a company with a range of different attacks, including social engineering, in an attempt to gain system access.

Once they’re in there’s plenty they can do. Hackers can even access “malware as a service” such as the Blackhole Exploit Kit, which effectively allows them to design and distribute malware to meet their own ends with very little effort and at a very cost-effective price.

What’s the best advice you could give to an IT department concerned about these issues?

Use a product such as GFI Cloud that can integrate patch management, antivirus and from early October, content filtering in one easy to use, web-based console. Only by thinking of every possible “way in” can IT professionals really sleep soundly at night!

Why? Because effective patch management is an essential component for the maintenance of a safer network. Unpatched software and operating systems can have vulnerabilities which in turn can be exploited during a malicious attack on your system.

2012 saw a total 4,347 new security vulnerabilities reported, that’s around 12 every day that system admins need to be aware of and repair across an entire network.  And with more and more employees bringing their own devices to plug in to business networks, the risk is even greater.

So, if patch management is essential, how can you handle it more efficiently?

The Evils of Automated Software Patching

Yes, it is true that almost every application now comes with automated patch management. However, relying on this method to keep your software updated could leave you exposed. Automated services require a user to be connected to the Internet and to accept the installation of the update, rather than skipping it.

Can the onus be put onto users to take care of their own machines?

A Skype survey of US, UK and German consumers showed that 40% of respondents don’t update their machines when prompted. Almost 25% required a second prompt. Around 45% were actually worried that installing the update would weaken their computer’s security.

To counter this system admins must check each machine individually to ensure they are all patched and running the latest software versions. That is a hugely resource-intensive for small IT departments and virtually impossible for a single person to accomplish.

On occasion, some patches may cause instability in a machine. The Microsoft MS10-015 patch for Windows XP that was released in February 2010 is one great example. It caused systems to crash and the patch was suspended. Just last month,  the MS-13-061/KB2876216 update caused corruption of the Exchange index database,  and the  KB 2843638, 2843639 and 2868846 caused the Active Federation Services (ADFS) to stop working. Workarounds and additional install instructions were issued for the problematic patches – but how many users know how to roll back patches? And how many will even realize they installed a patch in the first place?

That adds up to even more work for already busy IT managers.

Cloud-Based Patch Management

GFI Cloud™ is a simple web-based interface for integrated antivirus, asset tracking, network monitoring and remote control.

Using a cloud-based patch management system offers you a wide range of advantages. Firstly, it provides you with a single, central point of control. There is no more hunting around machines to see which one is patched and which one is not. You get a single interface that collects and collates that information for you.

You can patch machines from the console, which removes the need for users to make decisions. That enables you to patch machines faster and ensure that vulnerabilities are kept to a minimum.

Even better, cloud solutions are scalable so they can grow with your needs. Perhaps most importantly, they are also cost effective and won’t require you to upgrade your machines to run. You can deploy the solution within minutes and quickly get clear insight in to the status of your network.

Try GFI Cloud patch management free for 30 days.

The reviewer, Brien M. Posey, was impressed by the speed of install across a variety of windows systems and servers and the really nice reporting feature. “All in all, I liked GFI Cloud. I found it easy to use” (See full review here).

WindowsNetworking.com reviewed and assessed of each of GFI Cloud’s features:

• Asset Tracking
• Monitoring
• Patch Management
• Antivirus

The result: GFI Cloud earned the WindowsNetworking.com Gold Award.

Sign up for your free 30 day trial and experience how the GFI Cloud platform.

Remote support tools have been used to enable IT departments and support providers to take control of infrastructures from a distance, but these tools have often had shortcomings and failed to address the management of PCs and servers completely.

Now, however, new service-based products such as GFI Cloud take a true “ground up” view of IT management, which integrates remote support with a host of other essential IT department tasks, including managing patches, protecting machines from viruses and other threats, and monitoring the overall infrastructure.

A move towards “Preventative IT”

Proof of just how much a system like GFI Cloud can change the working life of an IT department comes in the form of a recent case study, discussing how GFI Cloud has helped IT admin firm BVOXY adapt a far more proactive approach to computer support.

BVOXY’s technical director, Georgina Lloyd Parry, comments in the case study that just £208 per month for a GFI Cloud subscription can give centralized control of 80 geographically dispersed machines. This subscription covers antivirus, monitoring, and patch management as well as free asset tracking. Parry states that she has previously seen support costs of £1000 per month in engineer time running updates on a similar number of machines.

Obviously reducing the time IT professionals spend on routine tasks is a key benefit, but the implementation of GFI Cloud has also helped with a more profound move towards what Parry refers to as “preventative IT.” GFI Cloud’s central dashboard view provides her with an early warning of problems, helping her move away from reactive fire-fighting and frees up her time to spend on higher-level concerns, particularly “enabling” the business with the technology it needs to grow and succeed.

Centralized management

GFI Cloud is an effective way to make things easier for the IT team, according to a recent internal GFI survey: 61% specifically highlighted that centralized management was easier post-implementation.

Effective centralized management really comes into its own “out of hours” when a product like GFI Cloud can deal with routine tasks like deploying patches to applications and running virus scans – all those tasks that used to result in IT workers having to work during evenings and weekends.

Parry agrees, saying: “With GFI Cloud I achieve 10 times more work.” She particularly complements GFI Cloud’s fast agent installation and unnoticeable impact on system performance. She also praises the system’s email notifications, which alert her to urgent problems whilst minimizing disturbances because not all issues need her immediate attention.

As the case study states, “IT should be a partner in the business”. Proactive IT professionals should already know this, and know that a product that facilitates it can be worth its weight in gold.

Visit our website to read the full case study or start a free 30-day trial and find out how GFI Cloud could simplify your IT management.

Sadly, if you run an IT department, you’re probably used to IT being a reducible cost when budgets get tight, and with not much light visible at the end of the economic tunnel; this is unlikely to change any time soon.

With this in mind, it makes sense to take steps to make agility a priority for your IT infrastructure.

Although some “old school” IT managers remain stubbornly resistant to the attractions of cloud services, these individuals are becoming increasingly isolated. A recent survey from North Bridge Venture Partners, in association with GigaOM Research, revealed that 75% of respondents are now using some form of cloud service within their IT infrastructure.

One reason for the continuing march towards the cloud is the obvious and high profile push from major vendors. The past year has seen two great examples of this:

1. Microsoft discontinuing Small Business Server, the backbone of a vast number of SMB networks, in a move to push the sector towards the cloud.
2. Adobe making all future releases of their industry-leading Creative Suite products available exclusively “as a service” via Adobe Creative Cloud.

The good news for your IT department is that in reality you are far better served by the new generation of cloud services than you were by the old way of doing things.

Consider the rollout of a new system: Previously, you would have to base license counts and storage capacities on vague predictions. While this may have worked during boom times, it’s not a great model when times are hard and every penny counts. Now, you can roll out the same functionality with a cloud service but pay only for what you need right now. If demand for the system increases, cloud services bring inherent scalability. This is clearly preferable to the risk of disaster if you didn’t get the server specifications quite right.

If you’ve not been keeping track of the cloud-based alternatives to some of the things you do internally, it’s well worth having another look at the marketplace. Cloud service providers have been very responsive to customer needs and have done much to eliminate the doubts of all but the most traditional IT people!

At the same time, the focus of products has undergone some change. The very fact that businesses are now buying a service has not gone unnoticed; something illustrated by the fact that in-depth reporting for the business is almost a “given” on the features list of industry-leading cloud products.

Meanwhile, the datacenter infrastructures supporting these cloud systems have developed to use advanced multi-tenancy technology, which keeps prices low as well as ensuring clients’ data are compartmentalized and secure.

There’s no longer any IT service that can’t be handled from the cloud, from core user-facing systems that handle all the file, print and authentication that used to require “on premise” systems, to all of the back-end stuff that the IT department needs but the business always resents paying for: antivirus, patch management and monitoring being just three. It makes sense for the business to pay only for what it needs right now, rather than predict needs too far ahead, and cloud services exist that allow this to be the reality.

So, in conclusion, however long you’ve been in the industry, try not to fight progress. Cloud services are now very much “up to standard”, and provide you with the tools you need to provide a first class, agile IT service that management is sure to appreciate.

Want to learn more? Visit our website to find how GFI Cloud can keep your IT department agile with antivirus, patch management, monitoring and asset tracking all managed from the cloud.  Start a free trial and give cloud services a go!

The results are based on a survey of more than 170 customers who use the GFI Cloud platform.

Functionality, ease-of-use and price were the three main reasons why the respondents chose the GFI Cloud solution, the survey shows.

Key Findings

The IT professionals who participated in the GFI survey revealed the following interesting facts:

1.     Centralized device management is crucial

50% of the IT professionals surveyed stated that the lack of a central view of devices and issues was a strong motivator in purchasing GFI Cloud.

This central view is particularly important given the increased mobility of the modern workforce, as is well illustrated by the next point.

2.     Managing remote devices is a headache for IT admins

38% of respondents complained about the difficulty of managing remote devices, such as laptops, and 32% worried about keeping them secure. This is perhaps an unsurprising reflection of how employees expect modern IT to be inherently more mobile.

The survey responses showed positive signs that GFI Cloud implementation is an effective way to make things easier for the IT team: 61% specifically highlighted that centralized management was easier post-implementation.

3.     Security is enhanced with the right solution

40% of the professionals questioned reported that they had experienced fewer security breaches due to antivirus and patch management since they implemented GFI Cloud.

38% also reported a more stable IT environment, with less unplanned downtime.

 4.     GFI Cloud saves money

While centralized IT admin and the desire to save time were both reported as strong motivators for the initial purchase of GFI Cloud, the survey results seem to imply that users of the product have also experienced unexpected cost savings.

41% of respondents reported that using GFI Cloud had reduced their costs, and 39% said that they were able to complete more tasks using fewer resources.

In totality, the survey responses present a clear picture of IT departments that are now able to enjoy a greater level of control over their infrastructures. Furthermore, the biggest “headaches” reported by respondents prior to implementation (lack of a central view, and managing and securing remote devices) are soundly addressed by the functionality of the GFI Cloud software.

The most significant finding from the survey is great news, both for GFI and for the customers who have selected the GFI Cloud package for their business:

Over 86% of respondents said that they would definitely recommend the product to others.

Finally, and worthy of a special mention, is the fact that 22% of respondents felt that implementing GFI Cloud had helped the IT department be seen as more of a business enabler than a “break / fix” team. In an age where IT is becoming so much more service-driven, it’s pleasing to see that such a change in perception can be born of the use of just one product.

Do you want to learn more about this product? Visit our website to find how GFI Cloud simplifies IT management with one centralized view of antivirus, workstation and server monitoring, patch management and asset tracking across all your servers, PCs and laptops on the move! See for yourself, with a free 30-day trial of GFI Cloud™.

Meanwhile you have myriad systems to patch, and endless patches to test and then install. Then you have to do it all over again. And again. And again.

No wonder a recent study by the UK-based Federation of Small Business shows that little more than a third (36%) of small shops patch regularly. Then these shops wonder why they got compromised, or blame their software vendors, especially Microsoft® – a common security punching bag!

Patching, well, patching properly, solves the majority of security problems. In fact 90% of successful exploits are against unpatched systems.

Even environments that should presumably be highly secure too often fail to patch. Last year an audit at the U.S. Department of Energy found that some 60% of their desktops lacked important patches.

Unpatched systems are so vulnerable because most hackers are lazy. Script kiddies are one the laziest – they take existing exploits and maybe tweak a few lines and release it as their own creation. And because the script worked before, chances are it will again. Most tech savvy people these days can become successful hackers if proper defenses – like patching – aren’t mounted.

Patches offer another shortcut, and a main artery right into the heart of your computers. There are two ways this works. The worst is when some security researcher looking for a headline finds and then blabs about an exploit that the software maker is then forced to quickly patch. This is an alarm for hackers to devise and mount attacks against this vulnerability.

The second is a patch that is released to fix a hole that only the vendor really knows about.

Either way the patch defines the hole and acts as a blueprint for a hack attack. Even though the hole is presumably fixed by the patch, it is only fixed for those that install the patch.

Unfortunately many never patch (that crazy 36% again) and even those that do don’t always fix holes immediately due to time constraints and the need to test patches for conflicts.

Patching Microsoft Isn’t Enough

Microsoft, for all the knocks it takes, is pretty darn good at handling patches, and actually a bit of a role model. The company is open about its problems, and the second Tuesday of every month, Patch Tuesday, publicly releases its fixes. It even gives a heads up as to what’s coming.

And it has a decent free tool, Window Server Update Services (WSUS), to install these patches – think of this as Windows Update on steroids. That’s why Microsoft patches are the most commonly and regularly installed.

But when was the last time you came across an all Microsoft shop? These days FireFox, Adobe Web tools, and even Oracle® all have more patches than a pair of old hippy pants. In June alone Oracle released fixes for 40 holes in Java. And most of these holes allow attacks that bypass user names and passwords. In April Oracle fixed 128 holes in its applications, middleware and database. Still think Microsoft is all you have to worry about?

Gartner is all worked up about this problem:

“In the darkest woods of IT, patching 3rd party application on a desktop remains a significant challenge for many organizations. Patching server OSs (Windows and Linux/UNIX) and 3rd party server applications also remains challenging due to fragility of many server environments. Add virtualization to the mix – and you have a full-blown slow-cooking disaster. And then you have Java…a security disaster in a league of its own,” wrote Gartner analyst Anton Chuvakin in a recent blog. “Java, Adobe Reader and Flash, Firefox, Oracle fat clients as well as many vertical and business-specific applications are often patched MUCH later than Windows and Office.”

BYOD only makes this all worse. These days you have to patch anything and everything. And fix these holes before the hackers jump in!

If patches are the hackers’ best roadmap, shouldn’t patching be a top priority?

WSUS is not enough. You need a broader tool that embraces multiple platforms and automates as much as possible patch testing and deployment.

With today’s world of distributed enterprises, mobile workers, BYOD and telecommuting you need to keep remote off network machines patched. You simply can’t have IT travel to update all these devices or ask end users to patch the machines themselves. Here a cloud patch management tool is the perfect answer.

See for yourself how easy it is to keep your servers, PCs and laptops up-to-date, with a free 30-day trial of GFI Cloud™. Whether your users are in the office, on the road or working from home, GFI Cloud is the easy way to keep their devices patched, secure and running efficiently, from one central console.  Learn more

Webcast: Don’t get stuck in the technology trap

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In this webcast you will hear about:

• How to get out of the viscous cycle of technology, experts, costs and upgrades
• Finding the right balance between people and technology
• How to ensure your IT strategy is working for you
• The importance of spending less time managing technology…
• …and more time supporting business growth

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