IBM offers companies monthly security report

IDG News Service - IBM today introduced a security service that offers a concise, monthly global-network threat report designed to help organizations assess security needs and vulnerabilities from a business perspective.
The IBM Global Business Security Index will compile threat information from some 2,700 IBM security professionals and half a million monitored devices, the company said. The data will then be analyzed by IBM security intelligence and consulting experts to rate the potential severity of IT threats.
IBM is selling the report to businesses as an IBM Security Intelligence Services offering. The report can be customized by industry and starts at a base price of around $10,000 to $15,000 a year, according to a company spokeswoman. Additionally, a portion of the report will be available every month for free on the company's Web site, the spokeswoman said.
The Global Business Security Index was introduced on the same day that the company named Stuart McIrvine as the new director of its Global Security Strategy division.
McIrvine said that the Global Business Security Index is the kind of new service customers can expect to see more of under his reign.
"We are getting a lot of feedback from customers that they need help with a companywide security strategy," McIrvine said. The index is aimed at the "boardroom" rather than IT departments because it helps companies assess their security vulnerabilities from a business perspective, he said.
The monthly report is about a page and a half long, with a threat level score and a few lines about how to resolve critical issues. Its advantage over security warnings issued by various antivirus companies is that it is concise and avoids "information overload," McIrvine said.
IBM's introduction of a new security offering comes amid warnings from the company that network attacks have surged in recent months. Attacks against critical infrastructure providers such as telecommunications companies, utilities and government agencies increased 55% from July to August of this year, IBM said. Meanwhile, overall attacks against enterprises and businesses IBM monitors have increased 27% since July, the company said.
The most prevalent attacks came from worms such as Sasser and Korgo and attackers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in Web server software, IBM said.