Symantec's new security intelligence, threat analysis program

Peter Dinham
Thursday, 30 July 2009 12:43

Business IT - Security

Symantec has released a new program which it says will comprehensively capture and identify security intelligence and improve overall security posture on users' websites.

Releasing its Cyber Threat Analysis Program (CTAP), Symantec said the program was designed to extend a users view of the threat landscape and to provide resources to deliver “effective risk mitigation and response efforts on demand.”

Citing the security company’s threat report released last April, Symantec enterprise services SVP, Anil Chakravarthy, said today that report had demonstrated the extent of today’s cyber security threats, with Symantec creating more than 1.6 million new malicious code signatures in 2008 and blocking an average of more than 245 million attempted malicious code attacks across the globe each month during last year.

“Furthermore, 90 percent of all threats detected by Symantec during the study period attempted to steal confidential information,” Chakravarthy said, while warning that organisations today face the “significant challenge of managing cyber security threats that arrive more quickly, are more sophisticated and allow for minimal time for proactive defence, combined with the pressure of driving down costs and leveraging past investments more effectively to enhance cyber security posture.

According to Chakravarthy, Symantec’s new cyber threat analysis program mitigates cyber risk with a comprehensive approach to threat identification, intelligence gathering and validation, and he claims, delivers “timely response by seasoned professionals to protect critical client information, all supported by specialised tools to enact response.”

“CTAP provides access to one of the largest commercial repositories of cyber security-focused vulnerability data and cyber threat intelligence combined with Symantec’s broad security toolset. Symantec delivers this access through highly skilled analysts placed at a client’s site to strengthen the organisation’s defensive posture, while increasing their proactive capabilities.

“As part of CTAP, cyber threat analysts fuse client data and public data with CTAP intelligence to quickly identify emerging cyber security threats, determine the true nature of the attacks, develop countermeasures and enact solutions.
 
Symantec says it provides both on-site and remote experts, through the new program, who customise the analysis, response and actions to meet the design specifications for each client.

IDC security research analyst, Irida Xheneti said that for most organisations, dealing with today’s security threats and vulnerabilities, requires “significant internal resources to proactively manage risk,” and she said Symantec’s program would allow users to “leverage proactive security intelligence and expertise to improve their organisation’s risk management posture in a cost effective manner.”