Proof: Antivirus Only Defends Against Low-skilled Attackers

The SANS Computer Forensics and Incident Response team built a real-life network for their students so they could learn how to hack into the network. They put McAfee enterprise endpoint security on that network as well, with Anti-virus, Anti-spyware, Safe surfing, Anti-spam, Device Control, Onsite Management, Host Intrusion Prevention System HIPS bundled in McAfee Endpoint Protection Suite. Turns out they could easily circumvent all that security code, burrow in the network and stay there for months or years, just like in real life. Point is, advanced hackers use spear-phishing to trick end-users to click on a link that installs malware, allowing the hackers into your network. Here is the SANS article:



All the more reason to have end-users step through KnowBe4 Internet Security Awareness Training and give them regular Phishing Security Tests!