Security Log

Computerworld - Testing Endpoint Compliance
StillSecure has released StillSecure Safe Access 3.0, software designed to test and enforce access policies on network endpoints. The software provides three modes for testing an endpoint device's compliance with security policy: an agentless approach, an ActiveX plug-in or the StillSecure Agent. Pricing starts at $40 per user.

New IM Worms Target MSN Users
Antivirus companies are warning users of Microsoft Corp.'s instant messaging application that new versions of the Bropia and Kelvir worms appeared last week and are spreading over MSN Messenger. Antivirus companies also warned customers about Sumom or Serflog, the first in a new family of worms that spread over MSN.

Security Bookshelf
• The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense, by Peter Szor (Addison-Wesley Professional, 2005).

I've had the opportunity to review books on computer viruses in the past, but this has to be the definitive resource on the topic. The author does a spectacular job of covering every conceivable aspect of viruses, Trojan horses, worms and other malicious types of code. From the cultural perspective of virus writing to the dissection of many of the most devastating infestations, the author demonstrates his expertise. I especially enjoyed the chapter on defense techniques, which covers a wide variety of solutions based on a company's needs, and used it to validate my own company's practices. This is a fantastic reference book. -- Mathias Thurman

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