Worms part of IT diet

Some security experts believe that it's only a matter of time before a "superworm" is unleashed. Others have brushed it aside as mere myth. Then there are those who say such talk is an attempt by antivirus and security software companies to instill fear in home and enterprise users. It's impossible to predict what lurks in cyberspace but there has been sufficient evidence and warning signs for the corporate sector, especially, to wake up and smell the patches. In this day and age, response to new worm and virus outbreaks has been reduced to a pretty banal affair. IT departments now view patch management as a natural part of their daily activities.

This being the case, it was alarming to read about Westpac's failure to defend itself. One of Australia's largest banks, it fell prey to the Sasser worm, which is wreaking havoc on the Internet at the moment by crashing vulnerable Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers.

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