Warning: Check commercial software for viruses

There are plenty of ways for a virus to get into your computer system. And most of them involve letting down your defenses and opening the door.

At a recent panel at the Symantec Government Symposium in Washington, D.C., experts outlined one very obvious precaution: Make sure your commercial software is free of viruses. It's become a bigger issue because agencies are relying more on commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS), according to a report by nextgov.com.

"The risk is that our systems have essentially been subverted through the sourcing of the systems themselves," said Mitchell Komaroff, assistant secretary of Defense for networks and information integration.

Nextgov.com reports that the White House, in its Cyberspace Policy Review released May 29, said the incoming cybersecurity chief should encourage vendors to put information security into their product development process. In the meantime, forewarning should help you prepare. Sure, it's cheaper to buy a COTS product, but not if it causes chaos and turns your network upside down.

For more on commercial software and viruses:
- check out this nextgov.com article