Trend Micro expands protection strategy

SEATTLE: Trend Micro Inc. has announced its decision to launch an initiative to provide companies with services to combat threats to their networks from viruses. Trend Micro, based in Tokyo, said that its practice of offering "pattern files" that help identify and quash e-mail borne virus attacks is often not enough to eliminate the problems from "mixed threat" malicious software, which increasingly exploits holes in security to cripple computer systems.

For example, a network administrator might be able to excise a virus from a network, but a lone stray virus from a laptop could reinfect a network and force engineers to clean up systems all over again.

To prevent that, Trend Micro said that its newly expanded Enterprise Protection Strategy service will help to address "outbreak prevention, virus response and assessment and restoration" across different devices, software platforms and locations. "The only way to prevent a mixed threat is a mixed defense," said Steve Quane, Trend Micro's director of enterprise product management.

Because viruses like "NIMDA" or "CodeRed", which have infected millions of users, have not been eliminated, the threat of reinfection still exists, Trend Micro said.

© Reuters