There will always be an unknown. Not many security companies like to talk about it, but it is out there. A threat may hit at anytime that will circumvent any of the defenses that have been implemented.
Today’s market is seeing the impact of the bolstering of new technologies. Despite the economic downturn, there has been an increase in M&A and investment activity as the security industry attempts to shore up its defenses.
I know the industry will continue to heavily invest in security tools, but I don’t see the number of high-profile breaches lessening. Even security tool providers themselves are under attack – “McAfee Squirms; Website Security Leader Struggles to Secure Their Own Website”.
The big break in firefighting came with the invention of practical fire engines. Prior to that, the thought of a fire department was inconceivable, and fire control efforts were focused on upgrading building materials to stone or brick. Most people erroneously thought that bricks would not allow a building to burn. How wrong they were! Fortunately, new fire engines allowed firefighters to put out fires wherever they started; this was a huge and important paradigm shift. Full time fire departments became the norm, and while fire prevention is still critical, a modern city without a fire department would be inconceivable.
We in the security industry can learn from this example and change our approach to security. At some point, we have to assume that “bad guys” will eventually get in. When they do, it is critical that the network is being monitored and every activity recorded for later forensic analysis. Much like a bank robbery, the well-placed security cameras offer the ability to analyze and determine the extent of the breach and provide evidence for prosecution.
In a world where you cannot conceive of every possible attack, it’s critical to have the equivalent of a video camera on the network. We give our customers the ability to literally go back in time to determine the scope of the breach and immediately resolve, patch and fortify their networks.
USA Today recently highlighted our approach to network forensics on USA Today’s Technology Live blog.
