White papers
Sophos experts and leading industry analysts have published a series of white papers addressing and discussing anti-virus and anti-spam issues as well as other related topics. Find out more about the problem of viruses, Trojans, spyware, spam and worms in the white papers published below.
Traditional appliances that promise to meet the challenge of letting the IT administrator do more with constrained resources and less time have turned out to be at best only partial solutions. This paper highlights how truly managed appliances free up time while providing improved security, visibility and peace of mind. It explains how they enable efficient security management by reducing daily administration, enhancing the user experience, and offering proactive support.
Unauthorized endpoint computers pose significant security risks to organizations. Where underlying network-based enforcement is available, network access control (NAC) solutions provide detection and implementation of security policies to minimize these risks. However, in some environments the network cannot provide this enforcement.This paper looks at how a complete NAC solution can protect the network from unauthorized access from unknown computers or people with malicious intent.
Enterprises must take a robust policy-driven approach to enforcing security compliance in order to protect against network vulnerabilities and meet regulatory requirements. This paper examines technology and initiatives designed to capitalize on existing investments and prevent any gaps in security.
The explosion in spyware has presented businesses with increasing concerns about security issues, from data theft and network damage to reputation loss and exposure to potential litigation. This paper examines how spyware infiltrates and affects organizations and describes how to protect against it.
The continuing evolution of malware threats combined with the demand for increasingly flexible working practices is a significant challenge to IT departments seeking to reduce help desk support and get better value for money from their investment in security. This paper looks at how organizations can benefit from a more integrated, policy-driven approach to protecting the network at all levels and controlling both user access and behavior.
Employees installing and using unauthorized applications like Instant Messaging, VoIP, games and peer-to-peer file-sharing applications cause many businesses serious concern. This paper looks at why it is important to control such applications, discusses the various approaches, and highlights how integrating this functionality into malware protection is the simplest and most cost-effective solution.
Cybercriminals continue to invent increasingly cunning ways to exploit human and computer vulnerabilities to steal and extort money from computer users and companies. Our latest security threat report describes the latest threats, highlights their growing complexity and looks at what the likely trends are for 2007.
Five years after the release of Windows XP, Microsoft's primary stated goal with Windows Vista has been to reduce security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware and other threats. This paper assesses how far the new features measure up to Microsoft's aspirations for its new desktop operating system and provides an insight into the level of protection they provide to business users.
Spyware, viruses, and other unwanted or unauthorized applications easily infiltrate enterprise networks via web browsing. This paper defines the requirements for effective, manageable security that protects organizations from infection and legal risk, while also meeting end user demands for performance and accessibility.
Hijacked computers, or zombies, hide inside networks where they send spam, steal company secrets, and enable other serious crimes. This paper discusses how the threat has evolved, explains how zombie networks, or botnets, are created and highlights how even organizations with reliable gateway and endpoint protection are vulnerable to these email- and web-borne threats.
Managing the desktops, laptops and servers at the endpoints of corporate networks is an increasingly complex, time-consuming and expensive task. This paper examines the issues of managing security across the network, discusses the key criteria involved in choosing a solution, and describes Sophos Endpoint Security.
Cybercriminals continue to invent new ways to exploit human and computer vulnerabilities to steal and extort money from computer users and companies. This update to our annual security threat management report looks at how the threat landscape has changed in the first six months of 2006 and what the likely trends are for the rest of the year.
Faced with the growing volume and complexity of threats at the email gateway, organizations are looking for security solutions that offer better protection. The availability, expertise, and productivity of IT resources must be balanced against budgets, flexibility, and control. This paper helps IT administrators make an informed decision by comparing software solutions, appliances, and managed services, and looks briefly at the choices offered by Sophos.
The challenge for organizations today is to stay ahead of the increasingly interconnected threat from rapidly spreading viruses and spam campaigns, phishing scams, spyware, and other threats. The expertise and systems in SophosLabs™ give businesses the reliable protection they need across all threat types.
Increased connectivity in and out of the office has radically changed the task of securing an organization's systems and data. Client firewalls - often referred to as "personal" firewalls - are now an essential part of corporate endpoint security. This white paper describes what a personal firewall is, why it is important, and how it differs from a gateway firewall.
Linux is expanding rapidly beyond its traditional base of enthusiasts, finding rising popularity as a server platform for corporations. This paper highlights the threat to businesses caused by the interaction of unprotected Linux computers with Windows and other platforms. The paper also discusses the vulnerability of mixed IT environments to the range of increasingly complex threats.
There is a common and flawed belief that computers running on non-Windows platforms do not need anti-virus protection.This paper investigates the real threat to non-Windows computers, the risk of them concealing and distributing Windows viruses, and the implications of the growing popularity of non-Windows operating systems. The effect of compliance legislation on protection requirements is also highlighted.
Viruses have become sophisticated tools in the hands of cybercriminals. The effect of a virus attack on a small business, which does not have the resources to focus on network security, can be catastrophic. This paper describes the evolving threat, provides best practice security advice, and explains how Sophos small business solutions provide small businesses with reliable, integrated protection.
The growth in malware has continued unabated during the 20 years since Sophos entered the computer security industry. Take a look at the history of viruses and spam, how collaboration between virus writers and spammers is impacting enterprises, and how SophosLabs™ provides continuous protection against evolving threats.
Discover the top ten malware threats of 2005, the latest trends in the world of malware, and how organized criminals are working more closely together to infect computers than ever before.
The challenges faced by organizations in maintaining information and email flow have become ever more complex. This paper explains the security threat that email poses to businesses, highlighting its increasingly internal nature, and demonstrating how the Sophos PureMessage product line provides a consolidated solution for email security.
This paper explains the online fraud known as phishing, examining how it threatens businesses and looking at the dramatic rise in the number of attacks over recent years. Phishing methods and tricks are described and ways of protecting computers and networks from phishing attacks are discussed.
The increasingly complex nature of today's fast-moving threats radically changes the criteria for defense and demands an integrated, multi-tier approach to threat management. Cross-threat expertise and technology in SophosLabs™ makes Sophos uniquely able to respond to this challenge.
This platform paper highlights the more prevalent Linux viruses and the specific Sophos products developed for the Linux environment.
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Managed appliances: security solutions that do more