Security: Are we on overload?

When Network World Lab Alliance member and Opus One senior partner Joel Snyder and I began discussing ideas for this year’s security technology tour, which kicks off next week in Boston, we kept coming back to the same issue: There is so much security technology out there that it is oftentimes overwhelming.

When Network World Lab Alliance member and Opus One senior partner Joel Snyder and I began discussing ideas for this year’s security technology tour, which kicks off next week in Boston, we kept coming back to the same issue: There is so much security technology out there that it is oftentimes overwhelming.

Chances are, IT managers, in the rush to lock down their networks, have installed these technologies piecemeal. Budget approved; add another layer of security. Threat detected; add another layer of security. Need to reassure stakeholders; add another layer of security. These are all great reasons to beef up the security of your network. And doing so is not necessarily a bad strategy.

But now’s your chance to “de-architect” your security strategy and make sure that the technology you have isn’t a liability. Are your firewalls in the best possible position for maximum effect? Is your anti-virus upgraded properly and installed everywhere it needs to be? Can you manage your enterprise password protection in a better way? You also want to make sure that you haven’t built in so many layers of protection that you’re overtaxing your system – or worse, that some programs aren’t counterbalancing one another to create vulnerabilities.

Taking an inventory of every security tool in your network – even those at remote sites, branch offices and on mobile devices – will help you understand what you’re dealing with. You might discover that you’ve got too many tools to manage and there is a simpler alternative that doesn’t compromise defenses.

In his morning and afternoon keynote addresses for “Enterprise Security: Fail-Safe Architecture,” Snyder will do a virtual assessment of today’s security technologies and how you can best utilize them. He’ll explain how to determine what you need and what you can do without. More importantly, Snyder will explain how to construct your overall security strategy – the do’s and don’ts for dealing with vendors and your own organization.

Joining us onstage will be the leading companies in the security market, representing a cross-section of tools and services: ForeScout, Lancope, NetSolve, VeriSign and Virtela Communications. Also exhibiting their wares will be AccuData, Black Dragon Software, The Network Guys, IntraSystems, Secure Computing, Solsoft, Summit, Viack and V-One.

Let’s face it: Of all the budget constraints IT managers have faced over the past few years, security has been the area least affected. No one wants to explain after a hacker attack or a fast-spreading worm that they were compromised because they didn’t invest in the right tools.

Now it’s time to make sure you’re putting those tools to good use and not letting them become a hindrance to themselves. To register for this event, click here.