10 security problems unique to it

Version 1.0
September 6, 200610 security problems unique to IT
By Jeff Relkin
Security is not an area newly arisen in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. There have always been reasons to be concerned:
conflicting priorities, business environmental factors, information sensitivity, lack of controls on the Internet, ethical lapses,
criminal activity, carelessness, and higher levels of connectivity and vulnerability. It’s a tradeoff between limiting danger
versus affecting productivity: 100 percent security equals 0 percent productivity, but 0 percent security doesn’t equal 100
percent productivity.
No one wants to be controlled. It's demeaning and stifles productivity, and we resent the implication that we can’t be
trusted not to break our own networks. On the other hand, organizations have to decide how long they could operate
without computers or networks and how reliant they are on the availability and accuracy of data. Absolute security is
unattainable and undesirable, so proper security controls seek to reduce risk to acceptable levels.
System penetration threats
There are all kinds of ways in which systems can be compromised. A popular expression during World War II was “Loose
lips sink ships,” which was meant in a possibly somewhat paranoid way to heighten awareness that you never knew who
was listening to you, even over a beer at the local pub. Most of us routinely have contact with other professionals whether
at industry gatherings, social events, or any number of other venues. It’s all too easy to accidentally disclose critical
information that can be used, however unethically or even illegally, to benefit one organization at the expense of another.
Carelessly discarding access codes and other kinds of personal identification information without shredding them has
made dumpster diving the number one method of obtaining this kind of data. Systems that are poorly or inadequately
secured (single-level security, easily guessed passwords, unencrypted data, etc.) are an invitation to problems ranging
from low data quality to unauthorized infiltration.
Networks can be easily breached due to poorly maintained firewalls and/or virus and spam filters. Security budgets must
be adequately funded; management literally puts organizational survival at risk by viewing funding for security measures
as a no-return or discretionary expense. Taking responsibility for our own actions (or inactions) coupled with a solid
comprehensive security policy is the best defense to prevent breaches from occuring in the first place.
Internet security realities
Originally built for military use, the Internet today incorporates little inherent protection for information. Administrators at
any Internet site can see packets flying by, and without adequate encryption, messages are subject to compromise. The
Internet doesn’t automatically protect organizational information—companies must do so independently. Without adequate
control, and even with it, employees can access just about anything and bring it in-house. External intruders can access
networks and PCs. External message sources typically can’t be found, and message senders don’t know who else, in
addition to or instead of the intended recipient, is reading the message.
The hacking community is increasingly organized, and by cooperating with each other, networks can be even more easily,
and profoundly, compromised. The Internet is an open, uncontrolled network that doesn’t change to suit organizational
needs. Identified exposures are not automatically fixed, and most security problems on the Internet are not really Internet
problems. Organizations must assume a potentially hostile environment and protect themselves through full message
encryption for sensitive information, digital signature for message authentication, high quality maintained firewalls and
other filters, employee communication and awareness programs, and any inbound controls that are at least adequate
without being excessive.
Portability of hardware
Corporate road warriors traveling with laptops represent a variety of security challenges. Larger, faster hard drives and
more powerful processors provide the ability to download and use local copies of sensitive or confidential databases.
Ubiquitous Internet access allow us to stay connected with the same networks and systems we use in the office. Web-
based services such as Groove can be used to circumvent corporate document policies.
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10 security problems unique to IT
Laptops need to be secured with at least two-phase security controls consisting of a combination of encryption, local
userid/password combinations, biometric devices, etc., and organizations need to implement and enforce strict policies on
technology use while traveling.
Proliferation of new communication methods
Does your organization provide PDAs such as BlackBerrys or Treos with network connectivity? Are these devices secured
in any way? Many companies have little understanding of just how big a security threat these handy little gizmos
represent. Typically connected to central corporate services, such as Outlook or Notes, and providing continuous wireless
automatic synchronization with e-mail, calendar, and contact lists, a lost device that’s unsecured by a password can be
used to gain authorized entry into those systems. At the very least, they can be used to run up a pretty impressive cell
phone bill.
Corporations should require that despite the inconvenience, all such devices must have local passwords, subject to the
same rules as those used to access the network, including format and frequency of change. They should also require by
policy that lost devices be reported immediately so kill signals wiping all local data and rendering the device useless can
be issued.
Complexity of software
The fact that systems and applications have many integrated components that are difficult to individually secure is a poor
excuse for not requiring multiple levels of security. Users who have been authenticated for general network access do not
necessarily deserve authorization for specific functional components of that network or even within a single integrated
environment, such as an ERP. Studies and surveys tell us that employees consider too many different passwords a valid
reason for leaving an organization; some large corporations require users to memorize in excess of 15 userid/password
combinations. Single sign-on techniques provide the ability to secure systems one component at a time on the basis of
one individual access, so there’s no reason to make security onerous to the user community.
Degree of interconnection
This is just another form of complexity and requires a recognition of the realities of the public access Internet. Supply
chain processes connect raw material providers, manufacturers, assemblers, and retailers. As the saying goes, a chain is
only as strong as the weakest link. Even if individual organizations within the supply chain have proper security controls in
place, one lapse by one of the partners can bring the entire operation to a halt.
Consider a situation in which a parts supplier’s network is infiltrated and/or compromised. All the downstream component
processes can be negatively affected, either by the delay or loss of a critical ingredient or by a contaminated input, in the
same manner that a glitch at the start of an assembly line brings the entire operation to a screetching halt. Organizations
need to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and try to require their partners and suppliers to adhere to adequate
security controls, or at the very least, develop contingencies around the possibility of losing access to critical partnerships.
Density and accessibility of media
Information is currency, and knowledge is power. Knowing this, we’re all responsible for maintaining the integrity and
security of the corporate data to which we have authorized access. New forms of higher density portable media make it
even more necessary to take this responsibility seriously. CDs, DVDs, flash drives, and other dense portable media are
capable of storing multi-gigabytes of data in a form that all too often grows legs and walks away.
Corporate users should be circumspect about how they use these media. IT security policy should require that any data
moved through USB ports or any other method of creating media do so on an encrypted basis. Policy, and common
sense, should also dictate that these same media types never be used for single copies of any data, especially mission
critical or business confidential, and limit their use to temporary movement of data from one location to another.
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Centralization
Single points of failure can be security nightmares. As important as it is to secure corporate networks, systems, and data,
it’s especially critical to do so when those assets are centrally located. Smaller organizations with limited technology
resources are particularly vulnerable because they typically have one LAN room or one server rack, which is the entire
network for the whole organization.
Unauthorized access, power problems, communications glitches, protocol incompatibilities, and questionable system
philosophies can all contribute to catastrophic consequences. When technology assets are centralized either as a result of
limited resources or simply due to a valid design consideration, attention must be given to special security requirements to
ensure continuous operation.
Decentralization
The opposite situation comes with security considerations of its own. Multiple copies of individual systems or databases
all must be equally well secured; one compromised copy renders the entire application suspect. One of the more difficult
situations to deal with in global organizations with presences in various countries occurs where Internet access is neither
robust, consistent, nor reliable. In this case, the best solution is often to install a distributed DNS server for offline synch
with the main corporate network, providing a local facility that while not real time, is at least a comprehensive copy no
more than one half day old of necessary data. Since this requires putting sensitive or confidential information out into the
field, policies and procedures must be enforced that provide the same level of security for the decentralized facility as that
for the main corporate network to avoid the same risks of infiltation and compromise.
Turnover
Employees changing jobs represent a particularly difficult security challenge. A generation ago, you’d simply turn in your
keys and go on with your life, but it’s not so easy to do that when the keys are virtual entries into secure systems.
Every access granted to individual employees has to be tracked so that at departure time, those accesses can be turned
off. In some cases, security systems will have to be cycled for everyone remaining with an organization when a key
employee having a deep level of access goes elsewhere.
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Jeff Relkin has 30+ years of technology-based experience at several Fortune 500 corporations as a developer, consultant,
and manager. He has also been an adjunct professor in the master’s program at Manhattanville College. At present, he’s
the CIO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a federal government agency located in Washington, DC. The
views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of MCC or the United States of America.
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• "10 ethical issues confronting IT managers" (TechRepublic download)
• "10 ethical issues raised by IT capabilities" (TechRepublic download)
• "Establish and implement effective security policies" (TechRepublic download)
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Published: September 6, 2006
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