http://gcn.com/articles/2009/11/17/nsa-3-steps--better-cybersecurity.aspx By Ben Bain GCN.com Nov 17, 2009 Computer systems with proper security and network controls should be able to withstand about 80 percent of known cyberattacks, according to a senior National Security Agency official. There are common steps that people could take to bolster computer security and make it more difficult for would-be-hackers to gain access, Richard Schaeffer Jr., the NSA.s information assurance director, told the Senate Judiciary Committee.s Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee today. He identified three measures in particular as being especially effective. "We believe that if one institutes best practices, proper configurations [and] good network monitoring that a system ought to be able to withstand about 80 percent of the commonly known attack mechanisms against systems today," Schaeffer said in his testimony. "You can actually harden your network environment to raise the bar such that the adversary has to resort to much, much more sophisticated means, thereby raising the risk of detection." Schaeffer said NSA works directly and indirectly with vendors to develop and distribute configuration guidance for software and hardware. Since 2005, NSA has worked with Microsoft, the U.S. military, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Homeland Security Department, and the Defense Information Systems Agency to establish consensus on common security configurations for Microsoft operating systems, he said. [...] ________________________________________ Did a friend send you this? From now on, be the first to find out! Subscribe to InfoSec News http://www.infosecnews.orgReceived on Tue Nov 17 2009 - 22:46:15 PST
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