Speaking at ISSE 2001, Schneier, who is chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security, dismissed any attempts to resolve the problem of Internet security
The complexity of the Internet is increasing more rapidly than our ability to secure it, according to Internet security expert Bruce Schneier.
"Traditionally, Internet security has been thought of as a technology issue, based on the notion that you can build products to plug the holes," said Schneier. "But we are losing the battle with computer security, as we are building new products, but every year gets actively worse."
Software is getting increasingly complex, creating myriad vulnerabilities for virus writers to exploit. This was demonstrated with the recent outbreak of two major computer viruses -- Code Red and its hybrid version Nimda -- which attacked the same buffer-overflow vulnerability in Microsoft's IIS software. But as David Perry, security expert at Trend Micro, highlights, IIS is "a flash in the pan", and will soon be supplanted by a more popular application for hackers to target.
"The Internet is the most complex machine that man has ever built, so there will be accidents," said Schneier. "We are one big network, and things that affect one affect many."
News source: ZDNet UK
