Japanese IT companies offer the latest malware damage control

According to The Nikkei Asian Review today, recognizing that malware cannot be stopped entirely, Japanese IT companies are providing ways to limit the harm.

The Japan Pension Service recently became one of a growing number of organizations targeted in cyberattacks - in this case, a virus-laden email attachment. This breach, which resulted in a major loss of personal information, prompted government agencies and corporations alike to seek better defenses.

Information technology companies are answering the call. NTT Communications offers a new service that detects suspicious data transmissions indicating malware may have infected a client's computers. NTT Com's monitoring centers automatically block communications from the computers in question while specialists analyze the problem. If necessary, infected machines are completely isolated.

NTT Com sells software that quarantines email attachments within networks and detects viruses by such telltale signs as unusual communications. Even with this up-to-date protection, new viruses can slip through and cause widespread damage by connecting to external servers. According to NTT Com, its new service blocks data transmissions from infected computers within eight to 20 minutes, providing an added line of defense for customers that already use the detection software.

NEC and Trend Micro joined forces by linking the former's network control technology with the latter's malware detection software. The system looks for suspicious data transmissions. If a client computer is deemed infected, it is automatically cut off from other machines in the same or external networks.

Ref: http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Japanese-IT-companies-offer-malware-damage-control