Using the open source model to prepare for IT security threats

Feb 27, 2006 3:36 PM

It would be easy for an organization to focus attention on any one security issue. However, the real IT security threat for companies in 2006 won't be a single threat. Instead, it will be the explosive growth in the frequency and variety of attacks, and the amount of time, energy and resources that will be required to defend against them.
One thing businesses can count on in 2006 is that there will be more computer-related security incidents -- a lot more.
Whether a small business or a mega-enterprise, companies need to carefully consider the total cost of protecting their information assets -- from the operational costs of managing the software and hardware to the potential impact on business. Unified threat management (UTM) is the most cost-effective approach to today's volatile security environment. It provides a comprehensive offense against the newer threats designed to defeat individual security protections. UTM streamlines the management and operation of security solutions by bundling together the software and hardware needed to protect a company's core information assets.
All-in-one network security solutions available today combine security applications for Web, e-mail, and network security in integrated and easy-to-use packages. The benefits can be dramatic. A recent study found that an integrated solution took substantially less time -- by a factor of four -- to configure and deploy than systems using a patchwork of individual point solutions. This is in large part because the burden of relating one part of the security infrastructure to another to prevent sophisticated attacks is on the system, not on the network administrator.
UTM solutions that use open source technologies provide another critical advantage. These solutions benefit from the strength of the entire open source community by evolving to address new threats as they occur. By comparison, commercial solutions are only as good as the collective power of those working on them at that time. The speed and flexibility of open source technologies enable companies to scale as needed to threat volume and type.
The preceding is excerpted from Jan Hichert's recent article in LinuxWorld magazine. Click Here to read the article in its entirety.

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