Protecting Productivity

KEES VOS, June 29, 2007 at 12:38 PM EDT
Special to Globe and Mail Update

Front Lines is a guest viewpoint section offering perspectives on current issues and events from people working on the front lines of Canada's technology industry

It's widely accepted that today's converged IP networks are the key to improved business efficiency and productivity. The network has become central to modern business because of the huge potential it can deliver in terms of services, applications, and flexibility.

IP networks in particular allow easy access by suppliers, partners, customers, and employees anytime, anywhere, and extend the boundary of the enterprise outside the traditional fixed office or factory location.

However, this flexibility raises the stakes when it comes to security. When so much business relies on the network, users cannot afford to have it compromised in any way.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)*, 60 per cent of Canadian executives and 52 per cent of executives globally believe that a converged network provides better protection against security violations. Security is regarded by executives as the single most important attribute of their network, even more important than factors such as the reliability of connections or speed. The protection of these assets is therefore not only the concern of the IT department, but of the business as a whole, and needs to be considered a part of a broader business continuity strategy.

But the relationship between IP networks and security is a complex one. Increased mobility, for example, raises concerns about possible vulnerabilities. As business is becoming dependent on a unified voice and data infrastructure, the effects of network failure can be catastrophic. However, the same EIU survey showed that Canadian executives seem less concerned than their global counterparts about the growing volume of customer data being held on their network.

Storing proprietary customer data made only 30 per cent of Canadian executives feel "extremely vulnerable", compared to 45 per cent globally. The real threat to our Canadian executives are hackers — 67 per cent indicated that hackers are the worst security threat, compared to the global average of 49 per cent.

There is clearly a gap between perception and reality.

While today's businesses are equipped with incomparably better tools to protect the network than a decade ago, the 'bad guys' — hackers and malware writers — have also upped their game, becoming increasingly ingenious and ruthless.

Previously, enterprises might have relied on simple answers such as device based firewalls from Managed Security Providers to protect networks. Today, as most CIO's appreciate, this approach is inadequate.

A serious threat to consider is targeted attacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) — when a company's online business is intentionally blocked from launching IP traffic. This isn't resolved by simply placing equipment on the company's location; that's like having a fire extinguisher inside a house on fire. It is essential that your network becomes part of the solution rather than problem.

That's why IP providers need to invest in their networks and transform it from dumb pipes for transport to a front-line, intelligent, adaptable security device. By monitoring how the network is behaving and looking out for anomalies in traffic patterns we can even predict some attacks before they happen.

This network based approach is addressing IT security by moving from a function that installs firewalls and enforces rules, to one that has become part of an overarching strategy of risk management. It's time to start applying affordable security measures where it matters the most.

Better network security not only ensures more confidence in the network's reliability, but also means that network administrators can concentrate on running business applications and services rather than patching up and repairing security breaches.

So how can businesses gain confidence in their networks and continue to maintain productivity and business processes? By committing to a converged network that can not only put your fires out, but can smell smoke from miles away.

Kees Vos is Global Portfolio Director for AT&T