Features

Biometric security: more bottom-line benefits, less James Bond

Biometric security: more bottom-line benefits, less James Bond

NEC’s Gohringer cuts through the misconceptions that surround biometrics and puts forward the business case for the integration of biometric technologies into a company’s security strategy.
Carl Gohringer Jul 13 2004 11:38AM Security
Wi-Fi hotspots pose corporate security risk

Wi-Fi hotspots pose corporate security risk

Wi-fi has exploded across Britain this year, and is set to continue growing. The capability to improve mobile working means that wireless technology is allowing networked enterprises to tap into the true potential of their employees. But mobile users accessing the internet from corporate machines in Wi-fi hotspots are often doing so with little or no security controls in place. This could lead to network infection, which can have dramatic financial and operating consequences. With the average corporate enterprise infection costing an estimated £33,000 to repair, preventing infection at Wi-fi hotspots is a critical concern for many organisations.
Ian Schenkel Jul 13 2004 11:17AM Security
Smartphones are great tools, but at what risk?

Smartphones are great tools, but at what risk?

Hands up if you own a smartphone and feel secure. If so, maybe you haven’t been following the upward trends in Bluetooth vulnerabilities, Symbian worms and ordinary theft.
Jon Tullett Jul 8 2004 4:15PM Security
Forget the FUD line and stop the “geek-speak”

Forget the FUD line and stop the “geek-speak”

Some stats indicate that the IT security market is going to reach $40 billion by 2007. If you are a vendor offering something in that space that executives feel they need, you are going to be rolling in cash. For now, though, buyers are still a bit covetous with the green stuff.
Illena Armstrong Jul 8 2004 4:12PM Security
Crypto man

Crypto man

Whitfield Diffie made his name in encryption back in the 1970s, paving the way for modern e-commerce. Andy Coote learns more about his early work and hears his predictions for web services and grid computing
Andy Coote Jul 8 2004 4:07PM Security
Review: ID100

Review: ID100

A growing area of investment for enterprises large and small is the area of identity and access management of internal network users.
Keith Pasley Jul 8 2004 12:00AM Security
Review: Application Security Gateway

Review: Application Security Gateway

Controlling how your enterprise's employees are able to access external networks can be a difficult problem for most security managers.
René Millman Jul 8 2004 12:00AM Security
Spyware – a nuisance or a real threat?

Spyware – a nuisance or a real threat?

Spyware is a term whose use is becoming increasingly frequent in the lexicon of internet security threats. Just as computer users begin to think that their systems are protected against current menaces – various types of computer malware and spam, etc, so they are faced with yet another challenge. But just how big a threat is spyware for the corporate and home computer user today?
Matthieu Brignon Jul 6 2004 4:30PM Security
Surviving the CISSP boot camp

Surviving the CISSP boot camp

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is becoming an important industry accreditation for professionals working in IT security. But what does it involve and is it worthwhile? Mark Harris, chief information security officer at ASPACE Solutions, chose to do the intensive seven-day crash course and reflects on the experience.
Mark Harris Jul 6 2004 4:25PM Security
Computer viruses – the new arms race

Computer viruses – the new arms race

The stark reality is that network security in this internet age is a race. This race starts every time a new virus, worm or vulnerability is discovered; and only finishes when either an organisation’s network is protected or compromised.
Simon Heron, Jul 6 2004 11:35AM Security
Review: Secure Storage Router Pro

Review: Secure Storage Router Pro

On first appearance this router would seem another ho-hum product for sharing an internet connection within a small office/branch office, but looks can be deceiving. There maybe be similar looking devices on the market for a fraction of the price of this product but the amount of features make it a worthwhile consideration.
René Millman Jul 2 2004 12:00AM Security
Ex-hacker: The unspoken, dirty little secret

Ex-hacker: The unspoken, dirty little secret

I rarely make a bet, but if you asked me whether I'd wager some money on the likelihood of an organisation employing a hacker to assess their security risk, I'd almost certainly accept on the basis that they would not.
Jane Frankland Jun 29 2004 3:19PM Security
Is reactive patching the answer to protecting against known vulnerabilities?

Is reactive patching the answer to protecting against known vulnerabilities?

The time in which it takes hackers to write malicious code to exploit a known vulnerability is rapidly shrinking. The appearance of the Sasser worm in the shortest time ever, just 18 days between the revealing of a Microsoft vulnerability and the beginning of an attack, marks a new low point in the fight against cyber crime. With the protective window of opportunity getting ever smaller, the task of patching vulnerable software is becoming an increasingly endless one.
David Williamson Jun 29 2004 2:58PM Security
Third-generation security

Third-generation security

How virtualization technology is making layered security a reality
Tony Morrish Jun 29 2004 2:52PM Security
Find that nugget of relevant data

Find that nugget of relevant data

Management tools can help you make sense of your logs to pick out real events from the crowd. By John Sterlicchi
John Sterlicchi Jun 29 2004 12:26PM Security
IDS and Gartner: 12 months later

IDS and Gartner: 12 months later

Are intrusion detection systems really a waste of time? That was the accusation made in a controversial Gartner report last year. John Sterlicchi reports on how the IDS industry has moved to counter the charges
John Sterlicchi Jun 29 2004 11:43AM Security
Review: BeadWindow! 100

Review: BeadWindow! 100

This appliance has a very defined procedure for installation that must be carefully followed.
Peter Stephenson,CeRNS, Jun 28 2004 12:00AM Security
Review: Border Guard

Review: Border Guard

Border Guard and TippingPoint Unity One-200 were the best in overall practical installation and usage.
Peter Stephenson,CeRNS, Jun 28 2004 12:00AM Security
Review: CounterSnipe APD 1000

Review: CounterSnipe APD 1000

At first blush, the CounterSnipe Active Protection Device (APD) 1000 appeared to be the easiest to install and get running.
Peter Stephenson,CeRNS, Jun 28 2004 12:00AM Security
Review: ISS Proventia G200

Review: ISS Proventia G200

The installation of ISS was well documented in a manual which had a step-by-step procedure. By using the built-in text-based menus, we were able to install quickly and with assurance. This feature was unique. No other system guided us through the installation with a menu system.

Documentation was also available on CD. The steps were laid out and neatly organized. Pictures of an actual installation were included for reference and there were even instructions for rack-mounting the IPS server. The content was easy to understand and did not assume a high level of expertise.

Two quick-reference cards were provided making it easy for operators to bypass all the major settings and quickly configure a running system. For those wishing to read in detail, the complete actual manual has over 300 pages distributed among 14 chapters. Compared to the other IPS products we tested, ISS's documentation appeared to be very thorough and complete.

Technical support was not required and a test call resulted in a satisfactory response.

There were no difficulties with the basic installation of the IPS. However, it did require third-party software and hardware, specifically, a Windows 2000 Server and Microsoft SQL2000. We see no problem with the option of using an external third-party database, but believe that all required software should be supplied.

We reluctantly rank the ISS Proventia at three stars due to its requirement for third-party software and an additional server. The ISS device is not the most expensive product we tested, but its value for money rating is impacted severely by the requirement for third-party software and hardware.

Peter Stephenson,CeRNS, Jun 28 2004 12:00AM Security

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