Chapter 1. Introducing Endpoint Security

This chapter covers the following topics:

• The early days: viruses and worms

• The present: blended threats

• The insider

• Understanding point security weaknesses

• Using attack-detection methods

• Establishing a security policy

Computer viruses, worms, and spyware have changed the face of computing over its long history. In just the past few years, the world has witnessed an acceleration of the number of exploits released and the number of endpoints that can be compromised in a given time. These damaging trends have caused the networking community to renew their focus on security.

The new exploits and rapid propagation techniques seen today are not the only reasons security is pushing to the top of many organizations list of concerns. Changes in the world s political landscape, the ever-growing concern of corporate espionage, cyber-attacks or cyber-warfare, and the dramatic increase in identity theft are all driving this new security awareness.

In this chapter, you explore the evolution and general effect of viruses, worms, and spyware along with a view to where they may be heading. In addition, you learn about other important security issues on the endpoint.