<<<
NEWS FROM THE LAB - Tuesday, November 3, 2009
>>>
 

 
Finnish Internet is "Mostly Harmless" Posted by Sean @ 11:28 GMT

Microsoft released volume 7 of their Security Intelligence Report (SIR) yesterday.

The SIR is an incredibly detailed report that includes the analysis of data reported by Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT), which is included with Microsoft's monthly updates. Volume 7 covers January through July of 2009.

While reading through the report this morning, we were pleased to see a quote from Erka Koivunen of CERT-FI.

The quote is on Page 45 in the section called Best Practices Around the World.

Microsoft SIR Finland
Microsoft SIR Finland
Here's the text.

This is a summary of what Finland has in its favor according to Erka:

  •  First, the capability to detect needs to be complemented with the ability to take action.
  •  Second, the lifetime of the malware infections and security breaches needs to be cut down.
  •  Third, the positive regulative atmosphere regarding sensible information security…

And thus:

We are just less likely to cause headaches for everybody else. In this sense, the description of Earth in the [Douglas Adams] book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fits Finland quite nicely as well: "Mostly Harmless."

That observation would have been better placed on Page 42.