March 21, 2005 (Computerworld) --
Eric Litt, chief information security officer at General Motors Corp., calls it "management by inclusion." Simply put, it's an information security strategy that reduces operational risk by denying network access and services to all people and processes not previously vetted by the company. "If I don't know you're good, I don't talk to you," Litt says. Litt is one of a growing number of security managers who say traditional reactive defenses -- focused on blocking known threats at the edge of the network perimeter -- are no longer enough. What's needed are more-proactive security capabilities that emphasize quicker identification and resolution of both internal and external threats. "You just cannot sit back any longer and wait for your LAN to go down or for your employees to complain," says Ed Amoroso, CISO at AT&T Corp. "You need to be looking at things before they become a problem." Several factors are driving this trend toward more-strategic security operations. Laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have put a greater burden on companies to demonstrate due diligence on matters related to information security. Worms, viruses, spyware and other types of malicious code are getting a lot better at sneaking past firewalls, antivirus defenses and intrusion-detection mechanisms. And growing wireless use, remote workers and the trend toward Web services are giving hackers more avenues for launching attacks. Another important fact: The time it takes for hackers to exploit software holes has been shrinking dramatically, giving users very little time to react to new threats. The SQL Slammer worm of 2003 took eight months to appear after the flaw it exploited was first publicized. In contrast, last year's MyDoom worm started making the rounds in less than four weeks. "It's getting so nasty out there, it's frightening," Amoroso says. To achieve its goal of more-proactive security, GM launched a sweeping overhaul of its processes, including the manner in which it authenticates users and systems, enforces security policies, controls access to network services, patches holes, spots intruders and responds to incidents. It's a mighty task for a $186 billion behemoth with global operations, thousands of partners and tens of thousands of users. But it's essential in order for GM to stay one step ahead of the bad guys, Litt says.
"We are in a competitive stalemate with the creators of malware," Litt says. "What we are trying to do is gain back the advantage." Lane Timmons, security systems analyst at Texas Tech University's medical school in Lubbock, says a key to this is a better understanding of how your company's networks behave normally so you can spot abnormal activity more quickly. After getting hammered by worms
See results from our survey of more than 5,000 IT pros, and use our Smart Salary Tool to compare your pay with IT workers in similar jobs across the U.S.
See your link here
or
Other Security Stories
See results from our survey of more than 5,000 IT pros, and use our Smart Salary Tool to compare your pay with IT workers in similar jobs across the U.S.
After weathering layoffs or pay cuts, your IT staffers may need some help getting motivated. Try these strategies for employee renewal.
No Windows geek or PC support pro should be without these must-have utilities -- and they're all free.
Get the latest news, features, opinions and more on key technology issues.
Get the latest news, reviews and more about Microsoft's newest desktop operating system.
General Mills, Genentech, San Diego Gas & Electric, University of Pennsylvania and Monsanto top the list.
Computerworld
