04.02.2009 – Waltham, MA – April 1 came and went, and the Conficker variant failed to deliver the gloom-and-doom forecasted by many IT security pundits. According to application whitelisting pioneer Bit9, Inc., this latest “non-event” is just one more example of businesses chasing their tails instead of spending time focused on their core competencies. It’s too soon to quantify the effect of Conficker hype, but try to estimate answers based on your own organization: How many frantic e-mails from end-users did IT administrators have to field? How much research did CIOs undertake to make sure their networks were protected? How much time did security experts spend blogging, writing and interviewing about the potential for a Conficker apocalypse?
The truth is there are similar worms, viruses and malware besieging enterprise IT systems every day. A more devastating example from earlier this week can be found in the malware-induced infiltration of government and private computers, including those of the Dalai Lama, discovered by researchers from the Munk Center for International Studies. Comparatively, Conficker is only a bit more sophisticated in terms of its concealment and communications tactics. But if a modestly more complex piece of malware can generate near-hysteria the likes of which we haven’t seen since Y2K, what does that say about the state of enterprise IT security?
Application whitelisting is a proactive way to secure endpoints (laptops, PCs, servers, kiosks, etc.) and gives businesses actual control and visibility into their IT systems. Rather than scrambling to react to the latest malicious piece of software, IT administrators using application whitelisting do not worry because they know that their defenses handled Conficker the same way every other piece of unauthorized software was handled: automatically stopped. If it’s not on the corporation’s company-defined whitelist of approved applications, it will not execute. End of story.
Bit9 Parity Application Whitelisting solution provides IT and security professionals with the ability to identify and decide which applications and portable storage devices are approved and appropriate to run in their specific environment, while blocking any unauthorized software or devices that can introduce the disruptive software.
“Yesterday was ‘C-Day’ for businesses relying on traditional, reactive IT security methodologies, but for Bit9 customers, it was just another Wednesday,” said Harry Sverdlove, chief technology officer, Bit9. “From the outset, we recognized Conficker for what it was – a widespread and sophisticated worm. We saw the research and concluded that no matter how deftly it eluded some security detection systems, it couldn’t get around the simple logic employed by our application whitelisting technology, without requiring any updates, patches, or Conficker-specific tools.”
About Bit9, Inc.
Bit9 is the pioneer and leader in enterprise application whitelisting. The company’s patented application control solutions ensure only trusted and authorized applications are allowed to run, eliminating the risk caused by malicious, illegal and unauthorized software. Unlike traditional, reactive controls that try to scan and prevent the never-ending list of unauthorized software, Bit9 leverages the Bit9 Global Software Registry™ — the world’s largest database of software intelligence – to ensure only authorized applications can run, delivering the highest levels of desktop security, compliance, and manageability. Bit9 customers include companies in a wide variety of industries, such as retail, financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, telecommunications, as well as government agencies. Founded in 2002, Bit9 is privately held and based in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information, visit http://www.bit9.com or call +1 617.393.7400.
Media Contact: Jennifer Bulmahn Text 100 for Bit9, Inc. 617.399.4986 jenniferb@text100.com