Beware of viruses!

Not exactly the most earth-shattering charge in the IT world I grant you that, but as I sit here with my head blown up like a balloon from a nasty cold it made me think of the false sense of security that we have when it comes to viruses both personally and in our networks. When it comes to our own health we push too hard, eat poorly, and don't get enough sleep until the body finally says "enough," and we’re down for days trying to recover.

In our SMB world many companies have stopped thinking about the possibility of a network infection or intrusion. They believe they are protected because they've bought anti-virus software and invested in a firewall. There are so many flaws in that line of thinking because:

1. Virus definitions must be kept up-to-date, and the software must stay current. This often slips through the cracks if there's not a full-time IT staffer keeping a close eye.

2. Just protecting against viruses from email is woefully inadequate. There are phishing scams, malware and more that must be identified and targeted.

3. Viruses and malware don't always come through email. What about that corporate laptop that is brought home or on vacation and used by children or other non-authorized personnel? Bring that machine back into the domain and watch what lights up!

4. Using anti-virus and anti-malware software is just part of the shield. Best practices would have your firewall appliance controlling the flow in and out of email, but also keeping unauthorized or dangerous browsing in a restricted zone.

These are just a few of the points you must address. Find a little chicken soup for your network, and boost its immune system with products like CA's Integrated Threat Manager, Cisco's Adaptive Security Appliances or ASA's, Barracuda's Web Filter and more. It just might make you sleep a little better, and keep you from getting sick too!