Sasser ups cost of Windows - Gartner

[MSNwar]

Gartner is advising its customers to budget for extra security spending on Windows desktops in the wake of the raft of problems caused by the Sasser worm this week.

The influential analyst group reckons the appearance of another - and perhaps even more devastating - worm is only a matter of time. In the meantime, Users should batten down their security hatches.

In a research note, Gartner writes: "Many of the vulnerabilities that continue to be identified in Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003 are easily exploitable; attackers will continue to develop worms that will cause damage equal to, or more severe than, the system shutdowns and network congestion caused by the Slammer worm. Enterprises that are dependent on Windows systems must invest both in means to patch faster and in host-based intrusion prevention software for all Windows PCs and servers.

Full Story: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/07/windows_worm_tax/

Source: The Register