Looking Ahead

Organizations must first cover the nuts and bolts of security: defining policies, identifying critical assets, assigning roles and responsibilities, deploying network and host access-control mechanisms, implementing database controls, monitoring, deploying antivirus and hostile code protection mechanisms, and implementing selective use of encryption, training, patching and auditing.

However, there are a new few technology areas that have caught our attention.

Network forensic (not to be confused with netForensics, the security information management provider) products, such as Sandstorm Enterprise's NetIntercept, help answer the question, "What happened?" after a network-based attack. These tools capture network traffic in its entirety and let administrators replay attacks, analyze transferred files and data, and put the pieces back together after a security event. While reactive, these solutions can shed light on what data is moving around on the network and what is leaving it.

Another intriguing nontraditional security product is SecureLogix's Enterprise Telephony Management, a firewall-like system for your telecommunications infrastructure that gives telco administrators many of the features found in traditional network firewalls, such as the ability to block inbound and outbound call numbers, call-type detection and real-time alerting, usage and frequency reporting. The product also helps address one problem that often flies under the infosec radar: war-dialing. ETM can detect attackers looking for open modem banks, making the product a multipurpose tool (see "Dial 1-800 Plug Holes").

Finally, spam has hit crisis proportions, so much so that it's become a security concern. Companies like Big Fish Communications are combating spam by taking a page out of the service provider and antivirus playbooks. By serving as the primary entry point for corporate mail, Big Fish's distributed network of mail systems uses a combination of heuristic, black-listing and pattern-matching technologies to create a robust filtering service. Roll in virus protection and redundancy, and Big Fish offers an attractive service.

Bottom line, there is no one-size-fits-all plan for prioritizing your security technology spending. However, understanding where your assets lie, what your weaknesses are and what various products can do for you will put you on the road to effectively deploying the right technology.

Greg shipley is the CTO for Chicago-based security consultancy Neohapsis. Write to him at gshipley@neohapsis.com.