Features
House advantage
Nothing says "good fortune" louder than the clatter of coins cascading into the winner's tray of a slot machine. But these days that jangle is nothing more than set dressing. Instead of bucketfuls of quarters, lucky gamblers are rewarded with the pre-recorded sound of falling coins and a printed voucher for their booty.
Aug 8 2006 9:14PM
Security
Review: CounterACT
This product has a simple, straightforward setup and initial configuration, and generally, we found it easy to work with. Understanding the console takes some reading of the documentation, though. ForeScout uses many non-traditional icons and the interface can be confusing to start with, but the console user guide is very helpful in explaining how to use the interface.
Aug 8 2006 12:00AM
Security
On compliance: Get a step-by-step plan for meeting PCI standards
At first glance, achieving compliance for all 12 payment card industry (PCI) security requirements may seem daunting. But, when we break down the requirements and examine the common issues, the process becomes quite manageable.
Aug 7 2006 10:52PM
Security
CISOs are only part of the plan
Can CISOs and CSOs make a difference in the companies for which they work? Can they shape a successful IT security program that promotes a flourishing, trusted and respected business? And, in the end, does it really matter if a company has a lead professional in place to oversee and usher in IT security practices, or can a company do without yet still maintain a strong IT security posture that begets consumer and investor confidence?
Aug 7 2006 9:53PM
Security
News briefs
More military woes
The personal information of about 28,000 U.S. Navy sailors and their family members was posted on a public website, a month after the personal data of 26.5 million veterans and active duty military personnel was compromised.
Chief of Navy Personnel J.C. Harvey Jr. was told that an unnamed website hosted five data spreadsheets containing personal information on several Navy members and dependents.
All of the affected personnel were stationed in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to the Navy's website.
Aug 7 2006 9:48PM
Security
Company news
Louis Turpen, former CEO of San Francisco International Airport, has joined Vidient Systems' Board of Advisors. Turpen will lend his counterterrorism experience while on the board at Vidient, a developer of behavior recognition software used to detect breaches. Turpen joins other notable figures on the board, including Richard Clarke, former White House cybersecurity adviser.
www.vidient.com
Aug 7 2006 9:05PM
Security
Sometimes, things just work
I write a group review in this magazine just about every month. As you might imagine, we get a lot of argument about some of our reviews that didn't live up to the expectations of the PR people. That certainly was not the case recently with a product from Top Layer that we reviewed. We did not cover the product with glory, although it was a good product. It was one of those that we liked, but perhaps not quite as much as we liked something else. It happens.
Aug 7 2006 8:39PM
Security
Remember: answer the questions
Most of the different methods of security reporting deal with the specifics of what data points to collect, when to collect them, and where to report the results. Security metrics are simply tools designed to facilitate the decision-making process. They will ultimately help improve performance through the collection, analysis and reporting of information-security-related data points. But, looking at security reporting systems from the customer perspective may lead you in a new, more user-focused direction.
Aug 7 2006 8:27PM
Security
Missing laptop, missing policy
A dedicated federal civil servant took work home. Unfortunately, the federal agency he worked for had not taken easy steps to make that practice safe and secure. Thus, when a neighborhood gang of thieves broke into his house and stole the laptop, identity information about millions of veterans and members of the armed forces was potentially compromised. It was a typical Washington story, typical because no one suggested doing anything to solve the real problem revealed by the incident. It reminded me of the two giant paintings in the piazza in Sienna, Italy. One image is of dysfunctional Bad Government, the other of progressive Good Government.
Aug 7 2006 8:00PM
Security
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Industry views: What's consolidation doing to development?
With the recent announcement that EMC will be buying RSA Security, it is clear that the consolidation wave is rolling through the identity authentication and management space. This wave probably began in December of 2005 when RSA bought Cyota, but while that deal could be viewed as a one-off acquisition of a private company by a much larger public company, this $2 billion acquisition signals the start of real changes to come.
Aug 1 2006 3:57PM
Security
Review: ProtectDrive
ProtectDrive encrypts disk drives, either wholly or in part, an approach that may well appeal to organizations or government agencies which run a fleet of laptops, or have multi-user access to fixed workstations. In such cases, concerns about data being misappropriated from the disk drives, should they fall into the wrong hands, can be very real.
Aug 1 2006 12:00AM
Security
Review: SecureDoc
This is not just a simple plug-and-play product. It is perhaps better thought of as an encryption methodology for those who understand IT security and wish to incorporate robust protection for sensitive data resident on their hard drives or portable media.
Aug 1 2006 12:00AM
Security
