back to article Trend Micro: Our super-duper security software will keep you safe from everyone – except our staff who go rogue

Trend Micro today revealed one of its staff went rogue and illegally sold the personal information of roughly 68,000* of its customers. The security software vendor said names, email addresses, ticket support numbers, and in some cases phone numbers, of around one per cent of Trend's 12 million customers, were copied from an …

  1. robidy

    Trend "Micro" loss...

    Staff going rogue is the biggest threat they scream!

    If Trend's crown jewels are not protected how can we trust their software?

    1. Mark 85

      Re: Trend "Micro" loss...

      What's even scarier is they didn't catch it until customers started calling with "questions".

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Trend "Micro" loss...

      "If Trend's crown jewels are not protected how can we trust their software?"

      Supposedly, Trend Micro and other AV vendors had their servers ransacked by hackers and source code up for sale on the dark web:

      https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fxmsp-chat-logs-reveal-the-hacked-antivirus-vendors-avs-respond/

  2. sbt
    Stop

    AV and similar software just increases your attack surface...

    Unless you're a noob who clicks on anything and everything.

    Change my mind.

    1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Re: AV and similar software just increases your attack surface...

      Have you not seen the average "user"?

      Training tends to just confuse some users even more (If they were even listening), although I don't mind the odd this email looks like it might be odd 20% of users end up questioning everything.

      1. sbt
        Windows

        The average user

        Well, I did exclude noobs. I'd still rather set up really locked-down firewalls, and a regularly updated but limited OS image with no code install/run privileges for said noobs.

      2. EnviableOne

        Re: AV and similar software just increases your attack surface...

        is that the same 20% who reported my warning email to me as suspicious

    2. Marty McFly Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: AV and similar software just increases your attack surface...

      First of all.... Take a look at was 3rd party security is actually doing on endpoints. It is waaaay beyond anti-virus. There are some well respected security people out there (GRC) who continue to spout that mantra without actually taking a look at where the industry is today.

      Second.... Until one key component is completely eliminated from the chain, there will always be a need for monitoring & securing the endpoint. It doesn't matter how well written, fundamentally secure, and locked down a computing environment is. As long as that key component defined as "user" exists, there will be a need for security.

      1. Kientha

        Re: AV and similar software just increases your attack surface...

        Also, no matter how well trained or intelligent someone is, they can have an off day where they slip up and click on something they shouldn't. Endpoint software is so much more than just an AV provision so that when someone does slip up, and they will, the right action can be taken and the company protected as well as they can be

  3. don't you hate it when you lose your account

    Twitter now trend

    If you don't lock down your data internally all external defence is pointless. I've always approached any security from the inside out. Do I trust everyone I work with? Not a chance

  4. iron Silver badge

    How is the number of people affected so small? If I was stealing data from a database of 12 million customers I'd have the data for 12 million customers.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You think they got caught....that would be a whole news story...

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