This morning I read the following article: Microsoft can help kill fake antivirus threat. And interesting approach. The proposal is that we could white-list all the legitimate security software within the OS in order to make it harder to trick the user. Well, would this work? I am not so sure:

• First of all, what is Security Software and how do you find out? All the the security vendors can play by the rules and make sure it is detectable. But sacreware (fake anti-malware software) will probably not – or will for sure not. So, what is the difference between any legitimate application, any application which interacts with the desktop and presents a GUI vs. scareware? Scareware just show scary windows and makes you install their software – which is typically malware.
• The base technology is in Windows but it would have to be applied to security software only.
• What is legitimate security software? There are obvious ones like Symantec’s, McAfee’s, TrendMicros’, F-Secure’s, Microsoft's solutions. That’s easy. But I am sure (just an experience from the past) that there will be a pretty big gray zone which makes it very hard to decide and who decides then – us?
• Last but not least, let’s talk about the regulators. Do they (and does the market) really want us to take this decision and “certify” anti-malware solutions? This would come with a price – and reading the comments in the article below, this is one of the issues.

To me, the problem is wider spread than “just” fake anti-malware solutions. I understand that this is a problem – definitely and I understand that the thoughts of white-listing security software is attractive. But the problem is malware in general and how the criminals trick the user into installing something they do not want. This leads back to the question of the trusted stack which we address in our End to End Trust vision. To me, that’s the only approach which can be successful

Roger

Get ready for the swineflu:

Roger

Beginning of this year, I tried to understand, whether we can show a collaboration between Piracy (stolen software) and Malware Infections. I played a little bit with the data I had available and came to the conclusion, that there most probably is: Is there a Correlation between Stolen Software (Piracy) and Security/Patching?

Now, the Business Software Alliance recently published their annual report for 2008 with regards to pirated software again. So, this is the summary of the study:

2008 was another year of mixed progress in the fight against PC software piracy. The good news is that the rate of PC software piracy dropped in 57 (52 percent) of the 110 countries studied and remained stable in another 39 countries (35 percent).

The bad news is that despite the drop in piracy in many countries, the global PC software piracy rate went up. This was the mathematical outcome of rapid growth of PC markets in high-piracy countries. emerging markets saw PC shipments grow 33 percent faster than mature markets. Even if piracy were to go down in every high-piracy country, their growing market share for PCs will continue to drive the global average up until piracy is cut more deeply.

What really shocks me is when I look at the “best” countries. United States is the best with 20% (!) stolen software. I am living in Switzerland and here (place 6) there is a 25% piracy rate. So, think about that. In one of the wealthiest country, 1/4 of the software is stolen. This is like you get only paid for 6 hours a day if you work 8 (at best!).

We can now debate about Open Source and free software. I am still convinced that personally I want to get paid for my intellectual property and that protection of IP is the foundation of any growth or recovery. However, I did not want to elaborate on this.

In addition to this interesting report, the Business Software Alliance published another one called: Software Piracy on the Internet: A Threat To Your Security. The conclusion of this report is that Individuals who, mistakenly or otherwise, turn to auction sites and peer-to-peer networks to acquire or transfer illegal software expose themselves to everything from malware and identity theft to criminal prosecution.

Worth reading it!

Roger

COFEE is a tool available to Law Enforcement only to capture online evidence with a little training as possible. The idea behind the tool is, that there is little need for high-trained staff to be available during e.g. house searches and that a normal, much less trained officer can capture all the data. Until today, Interpol was the only channel for distribution. Now, the US National White Collar Crime Center is the second organization being able to distribute it.

If you are a Law Enforcement Agency/Officer and want access to the tool, you may contact Interpol or NW3C

Roger

Our EMEA Security Program Manager, Henk van Roest, started this series internally and with his consent I am publishing it here in my blog as I think it contains a lot of great information for you to use.

Security — you hear about it every day. Being responsible for information security can be a daunting task, so where do you begin?

From the design of acceptable use policies to preventing insiders from stealing data, the job can be a challenging one. Join Senior Security Strategist with the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Group Kai Axford, as he explores each layer of Defense in Depth during this eight-part webcast series. Kai shows you how mitigate the new risks in security and may have you rethinking the methods you’re using. He also spends time talking about your hot topics of the day.

Specifically there is an 8 part series as detailed below:

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 1 of 8): Why Does Security Matter? (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 7, 2008

In the first session of the series, we discuss risk and the impact of security on the business. We look at some popular methods to assess risk and identify the need for an overall security strategy. We also explore why you should care about information security, how to measure the success of your program, and how to prove it to your boss using the concept of Return on Security Investment (ROSI). Learn how security impacts the cash flow of your business. Bring your CFO to this one!

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 2 of 8): All Bark and No Bite (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 8, 2008

In our second session, we take a look at what is considered to be the most important aspect of information security: security policies. We discuss the policies that exist within your company and how to strengthen them. After all, what good is a policy if it is not enforceable? We also investigate the most cost-effective way for you to increase the security posture of your business. What is it? You have to tune in to see! You will not be disappointed.

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 3 of 8): Gates, Guards, and Guns (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 9, 2008

Today we look at an aspect of information security that is often overlooked by technical folks. It is the physical security aspect of our job. Are you aware that every year at DEFCON there is a lock picking contest? In this session, we dive into various techniques and methods that we should be considering when it comes to providing physical security around our datacenters. We discuss some of the recent trends in this area, such as IP video surveillance, and also discuss resources that can assist you in coming up with a good overall physical security plan. (No locks were harmed in preparation of this session.)

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 4 of 8): Living on the Edge (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 10, 2008

In case you are not aware, the Internet is not a safe and happy place. Have you thought about all the other branch offices and partners you are connected too? Bad things are going on and you would like to do what you can to keep them out in the wild. In today's session, we look at some of those risks, and also discuss some technologies you should be considering when looking at securing the perimeter. You know about Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS), Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), and firewalls, but are they doing any good? Is the DMZ as we know it today…dead?

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 5 of 8): Keeping Your House in Order (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 14, 2008

We start the week by discussing a problem that is close to your heart: your network. But how can we even begin to take on that challenge? What are some of the things on the horizon that we need to be aware of? In this session, we look at technologies and concepts such as IP Security (IPSec) Domain Isolation and Network Access Protection (NAP). We also look into some practical things that you should be doing right now to protect one of your most valuable assets.

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 6 of 8): Save the Box, Save the Network (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 15, 2008

Servers. We all love them. Wouldn't it be so much easier if we simply did away with everything else? There is no argument that the multitude of desktops, laptops, and mobile devices has created headaches for the IT security professional. Just when you lock down a desktop, the sales guy gets a new laptop, and then a new mobile phone. We cannot (legally) eliminate the users, but join us to see what we can do to stay ahead of the risks!

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 7 of 8): If You Build It (Securely), They Won't Come (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 16, 2008

Grab the caffeine and pizza! Today we step into the dark underground of AppDev and discuss methods for securing applications that run inside your infrastructure. As we harden the network and hosts, the bad guys are looking for other ways in, and often it is the applications being written by your own developers. Do your developers have the time and tools required to build their applications securely, or is security merely an afterthought? What tools are available to assist them? We show you today. No coding required.

TechNet Webcast: 2008 Defense in Depth Security Series (Part 8 of 8): If a Terabyte Falls in the Middle of the (Active Directory) Forest (Level 200) Original Air Date: January 17, 2008

Got data? Sure you do, but how much? Where is it? How is it protected? What is it worth to you? Which is the most important? If you could save only one database, which would it be? Answers to all these burning questions, as well as some closing thoughts from Kai, are going to be covered in this final session. You do not want to miss this electrifying and intense final webcast!