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IT security: it's just one part of the network

Editorial Type: Comment     Date: 07-2014    Views: 2229   




As you might imagine I am sent, no bombarded would be a better word, with no end of press releases and telephone calls representing companies who all have the best, biggest, and most effective, whatever it is they sell

It's hard work for IT vendors to get their messages out amongst you professionals and there really are some very innovative and intelligent offerings constantly vying for our attention.

I cannot help but notice that for some while now, there has been a strong bias towards IT security solutions which is probably right since it is a big issue and in relative terms, a new one. It may also reflect where the profits are, but is that just too cynical! More seriously, I just wonder if this means that other areas of the network are suffering as a result, because time and budgets are limited and these things only ever happen to someone else (except, of course, they don't). I would love to hear what you think about this.

Here's my take on it. Security should be designed into the network, its administration, its policies and its users, under two broad headings of firstly technical stuff that prevents, detects and remediates, and secondly through constant education and the systtematic encouragement and cajoling of both users and staff to act in a way that measurably reduces the risks that matter. Not all of your staff will do this automatically, and yet each user can be part of the real world threat detection mechanism in a simple practical, common sense kind of way.

There are so many distractions - BYOD, the cloud, virtual this and crypto that - but the bottom line must be making the network secure and getting on with the job in hand, which is ensuring that the IT network delivers exactly what the business needs and expects. Security may have assumed a too important role in our networks. I think that setting security up as a separate, apparently isolated entity (from the business, the network and its users and stakeholders) is a grave error. It's just a thought.

Ray Smyth - Editor, Network Computing.
Ray.Smyth@BTC.CO.UK | https://twitter.com/ItsRay

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