| Malicious code includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware. The code provides the ability for a malicious user to read from and write to files and folders on a computer's hard drive. They also have the ability to run and attach programs, which provides a high risk potential for the distribution of malicious mobile code. Many of these are not detected by anti-virus software or even host intrusion detection systems. Once they have residency within the network, unauthorized users are able to breach firewalls and access sensitive data by assuming the identity of authorized users. Vulnerability assessment scans must be performed on a regular basis to identify devices that are vulnerable or have already been breached by malicious code. |
