It’s always been important to watch what you click and to have some form of internet security in your life, but a report this week reveals just how important being aware of security is, especially for the patch to roll out.
Have you ever wondered how long it takes for a security flaw to become more than just an vulnerability out in the wild, and for it to become potentially dangerous?
According to a new report released this week by McAfee, the answer may surprise you, because while security holes and problems are discovered fairly regularly for mobiles, tablets, laptops, and other devices, it turns out that the resulting exploits are just as quick to appear.
Commissioned by McAfee (formerly Intel Security), the report reveals how critical time is for exploits, and highlights why security software is not only important, but necessary, with cybercriminals ready to take advantage of the exploits practically the moment the exploits are found.
McAfee’s research suggests that by the time news is out of a new exploit, roughly 80 percent of exploits already exist, while only 70 percent of security companies are ready, with signatures the key to solving them, but companies not always ready.
While the research was written with business cases in mind, it’s relevant to all, particularly because it highlights the importance of cognisance and being aware — and responsible — for knowing what’s coming into your mail, and what you should and shouldn’t click.
Security companies will always work the fastest to ensure the patches and signatures are ready to block and quarantine exploits in a fastest time-frame, but it’s always possible that they won’t get out a solution in the time it takes for you to click.
In light of this, it’s critical that we as netizens become more aware of what we click, of the emails we open, of the websites we visit, and of the files we download. With that responsibility comes the questioning and a hint of scepticism, and the possibility that we’ve saved ourselves from opening something that might leave us in a worse off position.
