CONDUIT

What to look for to keep security at its highest?

Companies are under increased scrutiny to secure their information while still giving employees convenient access to work tools and databases. Security gaps don’t necessarily need to be the trade off.  Smart IT pros encrypt all information at every point. It is not uncommon common for individual desktops or laptops to run antivirus software locally. But progressive data stewards are also including personal firewalls, anti spyware, HIDS (host intrusion detection system) or HIPS (host intrusion prevention system) for additional monitoring. Even with these extra layers of protection, it is imperative that firms continue to update the security versions on a daily basis to stay on par with the latest threats.

Of course all this extra work involves extra expenditures and the costs need to be evaluated against the need. Tony Bradley, consultant on network security says "A key consideration when you are investigating endpoint security options is the administrative overhead of implementing and managing the product. If an endpoint security product requires an agent of some sort to be installed, it can be a logistical headache for the IT department and will not offer any protection against rogue devices that connect to the network without the agent software installed."

Network Administrators Have More To Worry About

In the past, network administrators could sleep more soundly knowing their network’s perimeter was locked down.  Configure the firewall properly and keep the anti-virus software updated and your network was assumed safe. Ahh… the good old days!

Then came…what do we call it again? Oh yeah….progress.  As we accelerate further into the internet age technology has evolved. And so have the criminals. The unscrupulous have gotten smarter and traditional protections have gaps.

In our virtual world your people link into the network via PDA, cell phones and laptops with wireless connection. Each entry point jeopardizes the concept of a secured physical network.  Protecting the entire network has become an arduous task weighing heavily on the shoulders (and careers) of the administrator.  The IT staff is increasingly on the defensive, designing programs to counteract clever attacks on internal data and fortifying defenses that encapsulate all computing devices.

Online insecurity

Last year over 53 million people had their personal information exposed online somehow. That’s about 20% of the US population. Those numbers look worse when you consider that the majority of some age groups (the elderly for example) don’t use the web much.  Spamming specialists (and there are a lot out there) are finding increasingly creative ways to track your online viewing habits. Simple, seemingly innocent every day web functions, increases your vulnerability. In the process of downloading a song, shopping or chatting online users run the risk of inadvertently downloading spyware that clutters hard drives, slows downs performance, or permanently disables their computer. 

What does all of this have to do with recognition planning? For many practioners the web is the tool of choice. Cost efficiencies, targeted communication, and real time diagnostics come with the move to cyberspace. But to the ill prepared there is a risk. Sponsoring companies share sensitive information with vendors daily. SSNs, phone numbers, employee IDs, dependant demographics, addresses, etc are part of the normal data exchange. Companies using the web now have the additional need to make certain that sensitive information (either passed on to vendors or published on company intra/internet sites) is secure from hackers and identity bandits.