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Business Laptops: Malware Magnet

Submitted by: Amanda Steele on Feb 12, 2010 at 4:55 pm Tagged with: anti-virus, Business Vitals, Firewall, hacker, IT risk management, malware, Managed Services, Security Source: Business Vitals

How many times has your son or daughter asked to use your company laptop? Probably too many times to count. However, you should think twice before handing over this mission critical corporate asset to your kid. There might be a project due in history, but that’s not going to stop a kid from visiting websites to download free music, videos, animated graphics, and unbeknownst to you, malware that could spell disaster for your company’s IT network and the business itself.

Malware, short for malicious software, is designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner’s knowledge or consent. Malware is one of the single biggest threats to companies today. Should a hacker infiltrate your IT system via malware, he can easily and invisibly access bank accounts, proprietary information, and customer contact information, spreading electronic mayhem even further. Even if your company has firewalls and antivirus software, malware can be nearly impossible to detect. The hackers who place it there—many reside in China, India and Russia—are equally impossible to track, catch and prosecute.

Keeping company laptops secure:

If you are trying to protect your company from cyber crime, it is important to keep in mind that business laptops are business assets and as such they are not intended for personal use. Yet it’s all too easy for employees and family members to use business laptops for purposes at high risk of malware, including:

• Downloading music and videos from free sites
• Downloading graphics from free sites
• Downloading applications for personal use
• Gambling
• Checking sports scores
• Viewing pornography

The best way to stop malware from sabotaging company laptops is to implement an aggressive acceptable use policy that follows wherever the laptop goes: office, home, hotel lobbies, airports, and even the neighborhood coffee shop—anywhere there’s a third-party wireless network. Company laptops should also include software that ensures compliance to company policy. Some IT risk management companies, such as Business Vitals, provide clients with a dedicated policy server, adding another layer of security.

Finally, all corporate users must be aware of acceptable use policies and follow them. This includes resisting the urge to let children “borrow” the company laptop for schoolwork.

If you have concerns that your company’s IT security may have been compromised—unaccounted for withdrawals from business accounts for example—the only way to detect malware is to conduct an IT forensics study. This will identify illicit traffic patterns associated with malware so the malware can be disabled. It’s also smart to engage an ongoing IT system monitoring service to detect and block cyber attacks before they can do harm.

If you would like to discuss the information contained in this story or have questions about how Business Vitals can secure your business IT, contact Jeff Brewer or Phil Canders at 803.753.5200 or toll free at 888.287.8483.