Access Control
& Security Systems

At the just-concluded Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in San Diego, the Gartner market research firm brought together thousands of IT professionals. Analyst Victor Wheatman outlined a top-10-plus-one list of top IT security concerns businesses will confront during 2003.

• Web services security: With security standards still in a state of flux, Wheatman recommends caution in deploying Web services across enterprise perimeters.
• Wireless LAN security: Although progress is being made to secure wireless networks, rushing to deploy wireless poses a major threat of information theft.
• Identity management: It's crucial that companies have identity management and provisioning plans in place to prevent workplace identity theft, and educate workers on the dangers of the crime.
• Role of security platforms and intrusion-detection systems: Security systems are evolving from after-the-fact detection software into platforms that focus on prevention of intrusions before they occur.
• Correlation of events for reporting, monitoring, and managing consoles: Companies should consider deploying console software that correlates data across all parts of the network so that they can determine if an attack against one part of the infrastructure is related to a problem on another.
• The next Code Red/Nimda: These two attacks cost businesses $3 billion in lost data and time, Wheatman says. Companies must do everything possible to minimize vulnerability, including putting patch-management policies in place.
• Instant messaging security: Instant messaging and other peer-to-peer programs create holes in the network's defenses.
• Homeland security: Still getting underway, the Department of Homeland Security will need to be addressed by some industries and, of course, by local, state, and federal government agencies.
• Tactical to infrastructure security: As part of the nation's move to wider security concerns, Wheatman recommends companies shift strategies from strictly tactical solutions to security of the overall infrastructure.
• Protecting intellectual property: Protecting information assets, whether proprietary data or patents, should be a security priority for all enterprises.
• Transaction trustworthiness and auditing: Recent business scandals such as those that hit Enron and several accounting firms show that every company should improve the trustworthiness of its transactions and provide audit trails.

This month in Access Control

• Targeting The Customer
• Electronic Pedigrees
• One Hero Among Many
• Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• More from September's issue