Real Internet Security: People and processes protect your data, not techology

With near ubiquitous use of the Internet to conduct business

and communicate, organizations tend to place too much faith in technology to protect their vital data. Technologies alone such as firewalls and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are seen as panaceas for security problems. But such a narrow focus misses the real requirements for information security. This is about balancing the risks of openness with the rewards of tighter relationships with suppliers, partners and customers. However, as both opportunities and vulnerabilities are constantly changing, security becomes a never-ending process. Only skilled people and clearly defined processes can help safeguard information in a meaningful way, with technology as a complement.

The Internet has become an attractive target for hackers or others with malicious intent, as the web has grown more business critical. All organizations need to protect themselves against the financial, reputation, and productivity losses, as well as downtime caused by information security breaches. In the past, large organizations had a massive advantage vis-a-vis their attackers when it come to technical resources and skills, but now these are often more evenly matched for both computing and brain power. The question is not if, but when you will get a security breach.