Malware of all varieties, regardless of purpose or intent, must be treated with equal importance as they can significantly impact network security. In fact, HP’s Perry Payne says there’s nothing fishy about casting such a wide net when protecting an enterprise or government system.

During a recent discussion over sushi with an industry colleague, the two explored the influence of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), the effect such attacks have on a network and how focusing on this activity, in a vacuum, is a mistake.

Payne writes in a recent article, “[w]hat we have learned over the past two-three years is that if you deploy solutions that specialize in detecting APTs (usually because you were recently a victim and could easily get funding), you could be missing the bigger picture.”

“Any malware or even adware that can install itself in your environment and set up a covert channel out of your network, even for a short period of time, is a big problem,” he adds.

Current trends and ongoing malware attacks continue to influence how such environments are secured. And they demonstrate why a complete set of proactive, intelligent-based risk management solutions play a critical role in ensuring a solid approach to cyber security.

Read more about Payne’s lunchtime discussion and some best-practices agencies must embrace.