Threat Monitor

Security professionals typically overlook the Windows command line, instead spending their time with more complex GUI-based forensics tools. In this tip, Ed Skoudis explains how just a few command-line tricks can help users closely examine the configuration of a Windows machine and discover whether a box is infected by malware.

Mutating computer viruses have been around for some time, but one type of malware possesses the ability to constantly rewrite its own code to successfully evade the most sophisticated antivirus systems. Noah Schiffman explains how metamorphic malware works, how it differs from polymorphic malware and which defense strategies are best for enterprises.

Unified communications systems promise exciting productivity gains for workers and cost savings for businesses, but many often underestimate the security threats facing them. John Burke outlines the dangers facing unified communications and how to mount an effective defense.

There are a lot of dirty and destructive pieces of software out there, but a logic bomb may cause some of the most damage. Triggered by the smallest of events, logic bombs can wreck computers, networks, and even an organization's precious profits. In this tip from our Ask the Experts section, contributor Ed Skoudis explains how to prepare for a hacker's detonation.

Mergers and acquisitions are common headlines in today's information security world, and that's great news for malicious hackers and data thieves. When companies join forces, they often leave themselves open to attack. In this tip, contributor Ed Skoudis reviews the top merger-related threats and how to avoid them.

Web application server attacks are nothing new, but attackers are coming up with creative new ways to penetrate them. Information security expert Peter Giannoulis examines how data-hungry attackers are using Web application servers to crack into back-end databases, and offers advice on what can be done to protect Web infrastructures.

Microsoft has touted Windows Vista as its most secure operating system ever. But if that's the case, why has it already been the subject of several high-profile security problems? As Ed Skoudis explains, despite its improvements, Vista's security posture is far from perfect.

Employee profiling is one technique to combat malicious insiders, but organizations should tread carefully. As identity and access management expert Joel Dubin writes, protecting data and systems against insiders with criminal intentions requires a multifaceted defensive strategy.

Steganography is a useful technique for securely storing sensitivedata, but the difficulty in detecting its usage can create anopportunity for digital miscreants. Michael Cobb explains how toensure the practice isn't used maliciously.

Enterprise VoIP vendors may tout "plug-and-play" products that are ready to run right out of the box, but those vendors may not be taking security into consideration. As information security threats expert Ed Skoudis writes, there are many potential VoIP threat vectors, but packet-based telephony services can be secured with due diligence and adherence to best practices.

Security practitioners know to keep sensitive information under lock and key, but as Web services proliferate, ensuring that information remains private is more difficult than ever. In this tip, Ed Skoudis examines how one of Google's latest Web applications, Google Notebook, can lead to accidental exposure of sensitive data, and provides five ways to reduce the chances of a data leak.

Allow iPods in the office? Perhaps it's time to reevaluate thatdevice policy, as iPods pose more danger to the corporate networkthan it might seem. In this tip, contributor Peter Giannoulisintroduces pod slurping, the latest hacking technique, and explainshow revising corporate policies can prevent potential data leaks.

From phishing threats to zero-day flaws, hackers have certainly developed many sophisticated ways to exploit vulnerabilities for their gain. And, as SearchSecurity.com's information security expert Ed Skoudis explains, new methods are constantly being discovered. In this podcast, Skoudis outlines 10 emerging malware trends and provides tools and tactics to defend against them.

Three years have passed since CAN-SPAM was enacted, but has this legislation truly contained unsolicited commercial email? In this tip, contributor Joel Dubin examines if the law has effectively cracked down on spamming activities and examines how to put a stop to this email misuse.

From WMF exploits to the Veterans Affairs data breach, information security threats were plentiful in 2006. In this tip, contributor Joel Dubin reviews what grabbed the attention of hackers in the information security world in 2006 and explains how they set the tone for 2007.

An enterprise database stores an organization’s most valuable assets, and just one small mistake can lead to a data security disaster. In this tip, Michael Cobb looks at five common database vulnerabilities and the simple steps that can eradicate them.

DNS amplification attacks can generate enough bogus traffic to blow almost anyone off the Internet. Learn how these packet flood attacks work and how to defend your organization.

While blogging can be a useful marketing and communications tool, if not controlled it can pose significant risks to corporate information security. In this tip, SearchSecurity.com expert Mike Chapple examines these risks and how they can be reduced by creating and implementing blogging policies.

Malware is arguably growing faster than ever before, but not in ways the industry has come to expect. Even though the days of the superworm might be numbered, contributor Mike Chapple says it's time for organizations to adapt their defense postures because the next generation of threats won't be as easy to detect.

From image spam to cross-site scripting, hackers certainly have a large arsenal of weapons to choose from. But as AT&T recently learned, hackers are putting a new twist on ever-dependable phishing schemes to gain access to confidential and sensitive information. In this tip, Ed Skoudis examines how phishing tactics have evolved and what enterprises can do to defend themselves.

With headlines declaring data thefts becoming more prevalent and increasingly scarier, the need for enterprises to enforce laptop security is as crucial as ever. In this tip, Ed Skoudis reviews the pros and cons of laptop encryption and explains how, while it is the not the final solution, it can keep your data secure -- even if it falls in the hands of the enemy.

In the ever-changing world of threats, spammers have once again discovered a new way to bypass spam filters using a new technique called “image spam.” In this tip, Mike Chapple provides an example of image spam and explains how the threat can hurt your organization, and what you can do to protect against these attacks.

Instant messaging can be a conduit through which viruses come in to and sensitive data goes out of the corporate network. Enterprises need a thorough IM policy and the technical measures to back it up, regardless of whether IM is allowed or strictly prohibited. This tip outlines the factors you should consider when writing an IM policy and the technical measures for enforcing it.