Symantec Hosted Services White Paper Sample

The pervasive presence of malware on the Internet today creates more opportunities for mixing and matching dangerous content than has ever been possible. The essence of a converged threat is the combination of viruses, spyware, phishing, spam and other attempts at attack or exploitation of vulnerabilities that can disrupt networks and/or lead to theft or unwanted disclosure of sensitive information. These threats are no longer specific to particular channels for information delivery: They can come from e-mail, Web, and instant messaging (IM), and even Voice over IP (VoIP) applications and environments.

Because this essential connection to the digital world must be maintained, it must therefore also be protected. The emerging consensus on proper protection methods depends on a global awareness of the current threat landscape from moment to moment, an ability to block, foil or avoid potential threats, and speedy (hours to minutes) reactions to new threats as they’re discovered. Additionally, aggressive use of proactive technologies to evaluate potential threats and block potentially dangerous behaviors is becoming increasingly important in managing a hostile threat landscape in real time. Finally, sharp sensitivity to sources of threats, including well-known “bad actors” and possible malefactors, can also head off potential threats and attacks before they begin to probe targets. Welcome to the 21st Century Internet!