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New Security Scanning Technologies

By: Aeronx Mc Mall

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Whether you have many computers on your network, or just a few, you need to protect your valuable data. This means backing it up, of course, but it also means protecting your data from being hacked, infected, stolen or destroyed. Not only do you need to stay abreast of all the patches and updates to your operating system (OS), whether it's Windows or Macintosh OS X or even Linux, you also have network vulnerabilities to contend with. Perhaps you can manage this manually with a few workstations, although it will still be a time-stealer for you, but the notion that you could maintain a score or more workstations without new security scanning technologies and methods is downright silly, and dangerous, too.

There are improvements being made daily in the field of computer security, and someone in your firm needs to take the lead in keeping up to date with them. This is a field that has more and more firms working in it every day, promising security and control to network administrators and system operators around the world. Like any other business necessity, security for your network requires the investment of time, energy, planning and funds to ensure the safest environment for your mission-critical data. A quick overview of how some of these new security scanning technologies work will show you how much there is to it, if you do not already know.

Supported systems

Companies making these security products do not assume that all corporate users are the same. Fortunately, the best firms understand that networks can bring together computers running all kinds of OS software, from Windows XP SP2 and Vista to the new Windows 7, and from Macintosh OS X 10.1 through the current 10.6.3 that was just released. Then, too, there are many flavors of Linux (Mandrake, RedHat, Ubuntu) spread across the world's computers. Whether you are running one of these on a new HP desktop, a MacBook Pro laptop or a Linux box, you can be certain that the research has gone into making all of your computer assets, and the entire network, a safe environment.

Regardless of the network specifics, security scanning will make use of the vulnerability check databases that are based on information gleaned by groups such as the SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Institute. Started in 1989 as a cooperative educational and research group, its programs are used (and contributed to) by almost 170,000 security pros worldwide. Auditors, network admins, IT executives and chief information security personnel share what they learn and jointly pursue solutions to the many challenges facing computer networks.

Using SANS info

The SANS group runs the well-regarded Internet Storm Center (early warning site) and also publishes the weekly NewsBites digest, weekly vulnerability digest titled @RISK and makes available some 1,200 original research reports. When performing your network assessment, many security scanning services use the tens of thousands of vulnerability assessments SANS has amassed over the years. All of the leading commercial network security scanners and patch management tools will use this database, as well as OVAL (Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language), a security assessment tool for checking the security configuration of networked computers.

Online Vulnerability Scans

Today's leading tools are Web-based and fairly easy to use. You will be alerted of any OS patches needed, along with brief instructions about the alert. Besides the software and OS vulnerabilities, the scan may report on open tcp/udp ports, installed apps, open shares, password policies and lists, users and groups (with privilege, last logon dates and even their passwords' ages).

With leading firms and scanning technologies, you will be secure in the knowledge that your OS and software are updated, your data secure and your password/protection measures in force and working correctly. The bottom line is, you are paying a small price to protect the life of your firm. If you have not checked into current scanning technology and methods, do so now. Don't put off your network vulnerability scan until it's too late.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Clone Systems is a pci compliance service approved scanning vendor. PCI Scanning Service is part of Clone Systems leading Clone Guard Security product portfolio, which offers businesses an entire range of products and services to ensure proper network security.

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