Need for anti-virus policy to protect information
By HANISAH MOHD GANI
25th March 2002 (Computimes)

THE Government will need to consider an anti-virus policy, which addresses three issues - products, people and procedures - to protect information in its agencies.

Network anti-virus solutions provider Trend Micro Inc's country sales manager Wong Joon Hong said the Government, which is at an infancy stage in implementing security measures, has to constantly upgrade its knowledge in information security.

Wong added that government agencies are still in a fire-fighting position when dealing with sudden virus attacks and will need to equip themselves with relevant security knowledge to avoid service interruptions.

"Through procedures and policy, people are able to make best use of available products and resources to achieve the goal of comprehensive security protection," he said in an interview.

Wong said to stop virus or malicious code attacks, anti-virus and content filtering protection at the Internet gateway of an organisation is critical.

"Most people think it is sufficient just to install anti-virus software on the desktop. Very few people realise that desktop anti-virus deals only with a copy of the infected file. The original stays at the mail server," he explained.

"If the server isn't protected, the virus can replicate itself into an enterprise-wide infection that could cost an organisation thousands, if not millions of dollars, in clean-up shots and loss productivity," he said.

According to Wong, anti-virus software solutions are needed to thwart computer viruses yet these products alone do not solve the problem.

"If people understand the need for appropriate virus protection and its benefits, they are more likely to take appropriate steps," he said.

Since last year, Trend Micro has been working closely with government agencies and private companies in implementing best-of-breed anti-virus solutions.