Workgroups needed during breaches

Anti-botnet workgroups maybe an enterprise's biggest asset during a data breach, according to experts.

SecureWorks malware research director Joe Stewart said sophisticated intrusions were a headache for IT security professionals.

"There are a lot of companies that did not worry about attacks that are going to be faced with responding to very serious incidents that they are just not prepared for," Stewart said during a panel session at the RSA Conference 2012 in San Francisco.

"Some day, having that relationship with working groups will come in very handy when they're facing an attack and don't know how to handle it."

Richard Howard general manager of VeriSign iDefense who also chaired the panel said "real resources" were needed to "have a shot at taking down massive botnet attacks."

"They have to have to be the right size, have a team of lawyers, and need the technical guys that know how to stop and implement the proper security."

The panel noted a number of current working groups that help to facilitate sharing of cyber intelligence, including the Network Security Information Exchange and the Forum for Incident Response and Security Teams.

"A lot of what a breach is revolves around the targeted nature," Stewart said. "You can have situations that start looking like a botnet, but once you look into it more it could be something that is targeted."

In addition, they said building intelligence-driven security is key, especially as more businesses accept the reality of compromise.

"Successful companies will have a blend of intelligence," Howard said. "They will pursue collaborative intelligence and they will nurture native intelligence to spot what's next."

This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com