'Perfect storm' hitting the security landscape

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 16 August 2011 17:38

Business IT - Security

A number of factors are combining to create a "perfect storm" in IT security, according to a McAfee executive.

An escalating threat landscape, increasing use of Internet-connected mobile and other devices (such as ATMs, printers and medical equipment), a lack of governance, and the complexity of the IT model are combining in a "perfect storm" for IT security, George Kurtz, executive vice president and worldwide CTO at McAfee, told the company's Focus conference in Melbourne today.

As of June 2011, there were around 70 million unique pieces of malware, he said. McAfee receives around 100,000 samples of suspected malware each day, of which some 60,000 are unique. And around 2 million new malicious web sites are discovered each month.

Mobile devices aren't being protected from malware and other threats in the ways PCs are, and their mobility means there is a greater risk of loss - both of the device itself and the data it contains.

"If you believe the App Store is secure, I've got a bridge to sell you," he warned. It wasn't clear if he was speaking specifically about Apple's App Store, or app stores generally, though he did point out that the majority of mobile malware is for Android.

And non-traditional platforms are coming under increasing attack, with security researchers recently revealing progress in remotely manipulating automotive systems (eg, to remotely shut off a car's engine) and an insulin pump. "This is where we see the explosion of opportunities for the bad guys," he said.

Page 2: No change in McAfee strategy.