"Chain of trust" formed to combat malware

Jake Widman
Thursday, 21 May 2009 02:03

Business IT - Security

Three online security organizations have joined forces to promote cooperation among the multiple stakeholders in protecting the Internet from malware.

The three organizations are:

• • The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC), composed of software companies and consumer groups, seeks commonly accepted definitions and best practices to combat spyware;
• • The National Cyber Security Alliance , a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of security issues;
• • and StopBadware.org , an initiative led by Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society to thwart threats to privacy caused by bad software.

The group wants to map and identify all the links in the complex network of organizations and individuals in order to understand the system's vulnerabilities.

"Strong security in any one organization or sector is not enough to combat an agile, fast evolving threat like malware, which exploits security breakdowns between entities," said ASC coordinator. "We all need to work together to build a system that withstand and repel the next generation of exploits." This combined effort is called the "Chain of Trust Initiative."

Within six months, the Initiative expects to propose recommendations for strengthening the chain.