Page 126 - Security Today, March 2017

SECURING THE EVERYWHERE PERIMETER
Hacking. Viruses. Ransomware. These terms have become an all-too-frequent part of the business IT lexicon. Cyber-attacks have crippled and even shut down some of the largest retailers in the world. However, size is not always a factor. Small and mid- size enterprises have been affected as well. System integrators need to create a line of defense for their customers’ networks. That becomes a very daunting task when the perimeter keeps expanding wider and wider. Technology trends such as digital transformation, cloud computing, and IoT now make it nearly impossible to determine where an organization’s secure perimeter lies. So, securing the “Everywhere Perimeter” becomes a mission that grows more challenging day after day.
Industry analysts predict that in the short term network breaches will likely continue to increase. Additionally,
companies will possibly face new types of breaches that they may be unprepared for. IoT attack vectors (the approach used to assault a computer system or network) will continue to grow as newer IoT solutions are deployed in enterprises. Consequently, the number of IoT attacks will likely increase as well.
Recognizing the growing concern and wanting to better prepare their reseller partners, Avaya commissioned a study* that asked IT and security professionals what they believed the greatest entry point threats were in their organizations. The clear top three were: employee e-mail, wireless connections, and employee devices. Even though over the last few years companies have put some safeguards in place, these three threats are particularly worrisome to IT professionals because of how easily a simple user error could open a company up for attack.
1 | ScanSource Networking and Security Focus SPRING 2017