Revamping Security Admin for Increased Protection Against Digital Threats

Firms should revamp their security admin rather than just avoiding Microsoft products, warns expert. Firms are being advised to tighten up on security administration rather than switch from Microsoft software to open source operating systems, as fears . . . Firms should revamp their security admin rather than just avoiding Microsoft products, warns expert. Firms are being advised to tighten up on security administration rather than switch from Microsoft software to open source operating systems, as fears over digital vulnerabilities mount.

Eric Chien, chief researcher for Europe at security firm Symantec Response, said that Linux is just as vulnerable as Windows, and that the flaws exploited by Code Red and Nimda viruses were similar to bugs that the Ramen and Lion worms exploited in Linux systems. "Software will always have bugs. All it takes is a single flaw for a worm to gain access to the system. The key is how administrators and vendors respond to those bugs."

Chien said Microsoft software would remain a popular target for hackers and virus writers because it was so widely used. "This isn't because Microsoft software is (always) less secure. This is because a very large percentage of the computer systems run such software," he said.

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