Computer Theft of Loss - Equals Game Over for Security

Ever ask you self the question, what is the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of host security?

Consider this for an answer. It has nothing to do with Software Firewall, Hardware Firewall, Network Intrusion Prevention, Anti Virus, Network Anti Virus Protection, Host Intrusion Prevention and Anomaly Detection. You can have all of this security in place, but if lose a machine or a machine get stolen, the game is over. A PC in the hands of a capable hacher is basically defenseless. If you have PC with critical data the best you can do is protect the critical data with very strong encryption, even then if the hacker is REALLY good, your chances of losing that data is high.

Losing computers happens to everyone, see article below, but that doesn't mean you should not do your absolute best to ensure that PC's are locked down or kept in secure places when not in use.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/12/fbi.laptops/index.html

Vista Security Dies on the Vine

I don't usually like to make a big deal out of Microsoft vulnerabilities. For Microsoft to secure all of their products is probably one of the toughest jobs in the world. When you own 90% of the operating install base on the planet, there will be thousands of people trying to exploit your applications.

I was shocked at RSA this week that I had people who I thought to be knowledgeable tout Vista as being the end-all to security vulnerabilities. When I argued, that exploits would be coming soon and frequent, I was unceremoniously scorned:) - ha ha - to those people I say "sit down so you don't faint and read the following article".

Don't get me wrong I'm not happy about this in any way. But learn the lesson, NO operating system with as many features and flexibility offered by ANY vendor are vulnerability proof.

RSA 2007 San Francisco - Meet the author please!!!

Hey blog-readers. Sorry I've been off line for so long. I had the web hits up to over 100 per day and then I got invoved in getting ready for the RSA security conference and my blog time when away.

If you get a chance please come by the Cisco booh at RSA and see the demo's on CS-MARS, IPS 6.0 and ASA 8.0 I setup the demo's and will pretty much be there the entire time answering questions about IPS.

Please let me know if you are a reader of the blog, I know very few people who log it and it will be good to me you. I'll geek out and talk as much security as you like......

Thanks,
Greg