No matter how much perimeter security you buy, breaches won't come solely from the outside via the Internet. Users unwittingly bring hostile code into your organization.

And consider industrial sabotage--intruders and disgruntled employees can take advantage of poor internal protection. The least obvious but most common security breach over the desktop is the innocent user downloading dangerous code.

You'd be negligent if you didn't protect your systems with proper host-based security. That's what makes a comprehensive desktop-centric security suite essential, even for the most cost-conscious companies.

Luckily, you don't need to spend wads of cash for decent desktop security. Plenty of tools are available for free or low cost. Spending a little on security software can save you untold dollars in the long run.

By Michael J. DeMaria at Networking Pipeline.

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