Malware's New Vehicle

Malware has been around for years, but most IT pros think about it only when a family member calls for computer help. Well, one theme of RSA is that we're all going to have to pay closer attention.That's because malware is back in a big, and new, way. Armorize CEO and founder of SPI Dynamics Caleb Sima gave the RSA keynote on Tuesday detailing the malware threat to Web sites and site visitors. Also this week, Qualys announced the launch of its Web site malware scanning service to compete with Armorize and Dasient.

Web malware is the new threat to organizations and their users. Most IT professionals think of malware only at the desktop. We install an anti-malware package and go about our business. So, attackers looking for ways into organizations are now exploiting new attack vectors to infect systems and steal data. They're targeting trusted Web sites with security flaws, loading their malware, and infecting site visitors. No longer must attackers compromise the site database to steal information; just compromise all the users.

That's big a problem for the organization running the Web site, not just visitors and their IT groups. Enter Armorize, Dasient, and Qualys.

These three companies are attempting to solve this problem by scanning Web sites to find malicious content, detect security flaws, and protect clients' brands as well as their site visitors. This has been a hot topic at RSA all week, and all organizations with a Web presence should think about it.