Closing gaps between security, compliance and management

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: SCOTT CRAWFORD ON NETWORK/SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
09/07/05
Today's focus: Closing gaps between security, compliance and
management

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Behind the convergence of security, compliance and management
  software
* Links related to Network/Systems Management
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Network World Executive Guide: Application Drivers: Pedal to the
Metal

This Network World Executive Guide examines the move toward
tighter security, optimized performance and ubiquitous Web
services. Learn about new approaches to securing today's
applications. See what users are doing in their quest for top
performance. And, take a detailed look at present and future
implications of Web services and service-oriented architectures.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112795
_______________________________________________________________
HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

Business service management has become a much-talked-about
enterprise management scheme. BSM is meant to prove IT's value
by linking business and technical information in a logical
whole. Could BSM best practices make the difference in whether a
company succeeds or fails with the next generation of IT? Click
here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112379
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: Closing gaps between security, compliance and
management

By Scott Crawford

Last week, we looked at how the convergence of management with
security and compliance software is increasing reliability and
availability, and reducing operational risks. It has often been
the gaps between security, compliance and management that have
driven the convergence of all three.

This is what gave rise to the technology of network behavior
anomaly detection, for example. Vendors such as Arbor Networks,
Lancope, Mazu Networks and Q1Labs essentially leverage network
flow analytics (a management technology) to provide an effective
weapon against worms and many other security threats.

One of the most significant gaps apparent today is in policy
management. We see policy management emerging in various areas,
but there is still a need for products that embrace
comprehensive policy across multiple domains. The
one-size-fits-all approach is rarely appropriate for IT assets
that may have a number of different attributes depending on use
case, users, and applicable security or regulatory policy.
Enforcement must go beyond the notion that "you must be at least
this tall to ride this network" to assure policy compliance
throughout the life of an asset's presence.

One company that has seen the opportunity this gap presents is
Elemental Security, which debuted earlier this year. Elemental's
agent-server approach embraces a wide range of host attributes.
These can be grouped as needed, or according to defined measures
such as compliance with a specific policy or regulatory mandate.
This allows high flexibility in visualizing the current posture.
This also enables the identification of non-compliant or
unmanaged hosts on the network, which can be reconfigured or
contained according to applicable policy, whenever they appear.

Since the approach cuts across so many different domains, I
asked Elemental customer Doug Torre, director of networking and
technical services with Catholic Health Systems in Buffalo,
N.Y., about the alternatives he had considered, and why he had
settled on Elemental. Doug said he had not found any one product
that met so many of his policy management requirements in so
many flexible ways. It met his requirements for policing the
compliance of hosts on his network on an ongoing basis. It's a
classic case of a converged management, security and compliance
product arising to help define an emerging market by meeting
needs across all three domains.

I invite you to join me tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 8, at 4 p.m.
Eastern/1 p.m. Pacific, for a free Webcast in which I'll be
taking a deeper look at how the convergence of security,
compliance and management continues to drive innovation like
this. I would be particularly interested in hearing from you
during this event - about the tools you are using today that
integrate the values of management with security and compliance,
and what you see as the most significant gaps still remaining.
You can register at:
<http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=securityNWW0905>

I look forward to (virtually) seeing you there!

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Microsoft warms up voice software plans
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnsm6553>

2. Cisco Catalyst 4948-10GE aces performance tests
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnsm6554>

3. Supermarket chain freezes Internet access
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnsm6555>

4. 2005 salary survey <http://www.networkworld.com/nlnsm3898>

5. Katrina tests net service providers
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnsm6556>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact:
Scott Crawford, CISSP, is a Senior Analyst focused on IT
security, systems and application management with Enterprise
Management Associates in Boulder, Colo., an analyst and market
research firm focusing exclusively on all aspects of enterprise
management systems and services. The former information security
chief for the International Data Centre of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna, Austria,
Crawford has also been a systems professional with the
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research as well as
Emerson, HP, and other organizations in both public and private
sectors. He can be reached at
mailto:crawford@enterprisemanagement.com
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Network World Executive Guide: Application Drivers: Pedal to the
Metal

This Network World Executive Guide examines the move toward
tighter security, optimized performance and ubiquitous Web
services. Learn about new approaches to securing today's
applications. See what users are doing in their quest for top
performance. And, take a detailed look at present and future
implications of Web services and service-oriented architectures.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112794
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the Network/Systems Management newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nsm/index.html

Management Research Center:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/management.html
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE
GARTNER'S SECURITY HYPE-O-METER

What is hype and has it influenced your network security
efforts? At a recent Gartner security summit, analysts described
what they say are "The Five Most Overhyped Security Threats,"
risks that have been overblown and shouldn't be scaring everyone
as much as they seem to be. For more, click here:
<http://www.networkworld.com/weblogs/security/009180.html>
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