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  • Cloud governance – manage the cloud challenge

    The word governance derives from the Greek verb κυβερνάω [kubernáo], which means to steer, and was used for the first time in a metaphorical sense by Plato (according to Wikipedia). Wikipedia further expands on the term, rightly calling it “the act of governing”. Governance relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance.

    Written by Puneet Kukreja • 30 April 12 14:16

  • Security complexity threatens enterprises

    Information security is one of the biggest challenges facing enterprises this year. Being hacked by criminals is becoming depressingly familiar for a many businesses. A roll call of prominent brands has succumbed to what is an unprecedented number of attacks. Increasing threats, regulations and complexity have catapulted network security up the corporate agenda. Considering billions are being spent on cyber security each year, why are businesses continuing to fall victim to cyber attacks?

    Written by Gordon Makryllos • 23 April 12 16:35

  • Security complexity threatens enterprises

    Information security is one of the biggest challenges facing enterprises this year. Being hacked by criminals is becoming depressingly familiar for a many businesses. A roll call of prominent brands has succumbed to what is an unprecedented number of attacks.

    Written by Gordon Makryllos • 30 April 12 14:09

  • Used IPv4 addresses need a ‘vehicle history check’

    Before buying a used car, prospective buyers can review vehicle histories in most states of Australia through a service such as the NSW Roads & Traffic Authority’s Vehicle History Check. The histories include information about how many owners the vehicle has had, whether it has been written off or stolen and other information that helps consumers understand the risks of purchasing the car. Now that new IPv4 addresses are history, there is a developing market for acquiring ‘used’ IPv4 addresses. And like used cars, there are risks involved in acquiring these used addresses. So, where is the Vehicle History Check for IPv4 addresses?

    Written by Qing Li • 10 June 11 10:08

  • Lifting rocks and seeing what dangers lurk beneath

    I'm still getting acquainted with my new company. As a security manager, that means I'm seeking out all the risks that are lurking in various functional areas.

    Written by Mathias Thurman • 25 Jan. 11 03:43
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    Smart grid security: Critical success factors

    Threats to the smart grid can be classified into three broad groups: system level threats that attempt to take down the grid; attempts to steal electrical service; and attempts to compromise the confidentiality of data on the system.

    Written by Shoaib Yousuf • 01 Oct. 10 14:40

  • Looking gift iPads in the mouth

    My company had excellent news last week, announcing stellar earnings. It was especially welcome after a difficult year of budget cuts, layoffs and a general decline in morale. To address that last issue, the company decided to give every employee a gift, and I'm not talking about a $25 Starbucks gift card. No, the plan was to hand out brand-new iPads to everybody. What could be cooler, right?

    Written by Mathias Thurman • 28 Sept. 10 00:35
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    Google's Wi-Fi spygate is its BP moment

    While it doesn't quite rank up there with dumping hundreds of millions of gallons of crude oil into the ocean while your CEO goes yachting, Google's huge Wi-Fi spying "oops" may become the search giant's BP moment.

    Written by Robert X. Cringely • 22 June 10 09:34

  • Are you a social networking mutant?

    Have you ever tried to get an older person to use Facebook?

    Written by Mike Elgan • 08 June 10 01:28

  • Security Manager's Journal: Without patch management, you are nothing.

    Does it all come down to patch management? As a security manager, I pursue many initiatives, striving to protect the company on many fronts. But patch management is a key metric of our risk exposure, since there is a direct correlation between security incidents and patch compliance. So, in a way, it does all come down to something as basic as patch management, because if we fail there, we can't be secure.

    Written by Mathias Thurman • 08 June 10 01:19

  • Quit Facebook Day was a success even as it flopped

    Quit Facebook Day may have flopped when it comes to creating a mass exodus of Facebook users, but those who care about privacy owe a debt of gratitude to the failed movement.

    Written by Tom Spring • 02 June 10 02:06
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    AusCert 2010: Is this skirt too short?

    I stopped in my tracks as I ran, fashionably late, to the opening AusCERT 2010 keynote by encryption oracle Whitfield Diffie. I wasn't struck by the fusillade of coloured lights on the vendor floor, nor did I stop to gawk at Alphawest's giant inflatable basketball. It was the pair of 18-something year-old Meter Maids that seem to have got lost while frolicking the streets of Queensland's Gold Coast and found themselves as Kaspersky's booth babes.

    Written by Darren Pauli • 20 May 10 10:08

  • Risk Priorities for Financial Institutions in 2010

    Looking through the holidays into 2010 there are four clear priorities for risk management that cut across all tiers with financial institutions. Over the last year the pendulum has swung from the exotic to the pragmatic, from chaos to order within financial services. The four priorities for risk in 2010 can be derived from the word D.A.T.A.(data, analysis, transparency, accuracy).

    Written by Dana Wiklund • 09 Dec. 09 08:08
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    Security Manager Journal: Woes hang up mobile policy

    Over the past seven months, I have led a team of IT representatives in making sure that all mobile devices are aligned with our new security policy. I thought this was going to be straightforward -- a few mouse clicks to check off some boxes, and our policy would be in effect on our entire inventory of mobile devices.

    Written by Mathias Thurman • 25 Aug. 09 13:29

  • UC security: When the shoe won't fit, compress the foot

    If your security model is location-centric and depends on keeping things separate, how do you respond to a disruptive technology like unified communications? This is a pattern that keeps repeating in many different areas: the security paradigm looked good until a technology comes along, changes the assumptions and reveals the inadequacy of the model.

    Written by Andreas M. Antonopoulos • 15 April 09 05:06

  • The fantasy and reality of government security

    In the movies the government has always got the best toys, the cutting-edge technology and the tightest security standards. Those who have worked on security projects within the government know that in real life government security standards and implementations can vary all across the range from quite serious to laughable.

    Written by Andreas M. Antonopoulos • 05 March 09 11:09

  • Trends coming together make a plan for small business

    George Peppard said as his character Hannibal Smith on The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together." Several trends, if not a plan, are coming together in interesting ways in technology for small businesses. Mix equal parts of online applications, netbooks, and constant wireless networking together, and you get new ways to do more work in more places for less money.

    Written by James E. Gaskin • 20 Feb. 09 09:36
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    The 7 dirty secrets of the security industry

    Do you ever get the feeling your security providers are failing to tell you the whole truth? We entrust the industry to protect us from unacceptable risk. But we must confront the underlying truth: The goal of the security market is to make money.

    Written by Joshua Corman • 29 Jan. 09 10:25

  • Security predictions for 2009

    My predictions for information security in 2009 are just predictions, not recommendations. I am trying to guess what will happen, not suggesting what should. As always, take these with a grain of salt.

    Written by Andreas M. Antonopoulos • 06 Jan. 09 08:34

  • Vista SP2 beta: Nothing obviously new has been added

    If you install the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) expecting to see visible changes to your version of Vista, you'll be sorely disappointed. At least in this initial beta, all the changes are under the hood, and even they are far from earth-shaking.

    Written by Preston Gralla • 09 Dec. 08 09:30
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