Whitelisting Debate Continues

In July's "Will you be ditching your av app", C|Net reporter Robert Vamosi proposed that whitelisting spelled an end to traditional signature-based antivirus. ThreatFire took up the debate on their blog, doing a credible job of explaining why whitelisting would likely be an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, existing antivirus solutions. (I happen to agree with ThreatFire's analysis). What's important about these discussions is that the more they occur, the greater opportunity there is for users and IT admins to discover the one unalienable truth about security: it is never a passive endeavor. Antivirus software isn't a panacea and it's not a replacement for taking an active, concerted role in ensuring defense in depth. And along with that elbow grease, a little adjunct protection to bolster the defenses is a good thing.