The Emerging Enterprise - Security Update 2003

The Emerging Enterprise - Security Update 2003

Security Update 2003
Though IT security is always on the front burner, as a budget item it's still a "grudge" spend. Here's the latest on the real and perceived threats to your business.
By Dayna Haberle-Delmonico

The Current Risks

Top 11 IT Security Risks - As companies continually try to determine their IT security priorities, research and advisory firm Gartner Group has identified the top 11 threats for 2003.

1. Web services security: Security standards are all over the place on this one. Most companies should stay away from web services for the time being.

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2. Wireless LAN: Though things are getting better on the wireless LAN security front, information theft and thefts of service are still concerns. If you've deployed a wireless LAN be aware that there's such a thing as "bandwidth shoplifting."

3. Identity Management: Workplace identity theft is part and parcel of the identity theft you hear about on the news (see TW Number 1 IT Security Concern).

4. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): Knowing the intruder is in after the fact helps but it is best to prevent intrusions in the first place. Large Enterprises will be the first ones to deploy prevention. For the foreseeable future, SMBs still have the upfront problem.

5. Correlation of events and reporting: Is an attack on one part of your network related to a problem somewhere else? There's software available that can link events for reporting, monitoring and managing consoles. Without that help the solution may be more time consuming and costly.

6. The next" big news" attack: First Code Red and Nimba. The cost -- $3 billion. Then came Slammer (see Security Vendor Concerns below).

7. Instant Messaging (IM): Not just IM but other peer-to-peer programs create holes that can be exploited. Its just one more way to get into your company as your staff deploys programs on their own. (see Usage Policies and Training).

8. Homeland security: Your company may be one of the industries impacted by formation of this department. It's too soon to tell how those industries and local and state governments address these changes. However, expect end-point security to be part of it (see Trends to Watch).

9. Tactical to infrastructure security: Shifting to wider security concerns, along with the rest of the county, for your overall infrastructure (see Trends to Watch) may be in order.

10. Protecting Intellectual Property: This may be the major reason to justify number 9 for manyısecuring your information assets from competitive activities.

11. Transaction trustworthiness/auditability: All those corporate/auditing scandals have had an impact on every business. For SMBs it's the ongoing necessity to improve the trustworthiness of all transactions and to provide audit trails.

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