Best of Breed vs. Suite Anti-Spyware: What's Best for You?

Overview

This paper offers a compelling first-person account by noted security expert Ira Winkler of a penetration test he devised to demonstrate how hackers could theoretically compromise the highly sensitive Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that secure nuclear reactors. Winkler, who is President of the Internet Security Advisors Group and has been called a "Modern Day James Bond" by the media, describes how his plan lured utility company employees to a Web site that downloaded spyware onto their systems—spyware that ultimately allowed Winkler's team to control the SCADA system and hence a nuclear reactor! Winker's paper points up the critical need for deploying anti-spyware software and builds a strong case for choosing a best of breed, or standalone, anti-spyware solution rather than a suite-based product.