The IT Commandments: Thou shalt not use nonsecure protocols on thy network

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Turn of HTTP while you're at it!

Funny, it seems to me that the VAST MAJORITY of severe virus/spyware/adware problems flowed over HTTP! How about this: dump the idiot Web-based applications, and enforce a strict "deny all" policy on the router for HTTP. It is interesting when you look at it, every employee in a company at most will have 3 - 10 "must access" web sites to do their job, with a few exceptions. Give them access to what they need, and that is IT. If you must, insist that every Website a user visits not on the "allow list" MUSt be SSL encrypted. When was the last time you heard of outbound telnet or FTP being used as an attack vector? It is pretty rare.

Gee, all of a sudden, I think this might not happen in any company...

Get real. If you are so concerned about your network security, block HTTP for anything outside the Intranet. Don't think turning off protocols like Telnet & FTP, that only a handful of users use (and how many of them are sending passwords to your network on those outbound connections?) while leaving HTTP wide open will help in the slightest. The real problem is people like the ZDNet Web 2.0 cheerleading squad who think that the real answer to everything is HTTP based. You've traded one unsecured application for another. And nobody got a virus simply by pointing their Telnet or FTP client to the wrong host.

J.Ja

Posted by: Justin James   Posted on: 04/02/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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