Malicious Mobile Code

Chapter 14. Defense

All the chapters to this point have covered the specific ways to detect and prevent a particular type of malicious mobile code threat. Chapter 14 rounds out the different recommendations by describing a defensive strategy to protect the computers under your control from rogue programs. This chapter focuses on holistic strategies, policies, and procedures. Intended more for a network administrator than an individual computer user, this chapter will tell you how to write a defense plan, how to pick a rapid response team, how to handle a malicious code outbreak, how to pick good antivirus tools, and give examples.

Defense Strategy

Here are the steps to a good malicious mobile code defense strategy:

• Develop and implement a defense plan

• Use a good antivirus scanner

• Secure individual systems

• Implement additional defense tools

The plan should encompass all the policies and procedures needed to protect the PCs and networks under your control. It must address the protection of PCs, include end user education, list the tools you will use to fight malicious code, and establish how outbreaks will be handled. Each personal computer under your control needs to be modified to prevent malicious mobile code from attacking and from spreading further. Part of the defense plan must include installing a good antivirus scanner in your environment, although where is a bigger question. It must be remembered, however, that it takes more than a single approach to provide reasonable computer ...