IT Security - What Do You Need To Be Aware Of?

IT Security - What Do You Need To Be Aware Of? It s self-evident to all business people by now that the Internet is a damn scary place where viruses, spam, ID theft, malware and cybercrime threaten to compromise your identity, your hardware, your bank account or indeed your personal wellbeing. But away from the sensational headlines, the really cold reality is that all UK businesses are left to pay a tax on everything they do via technology, and that tax is called IT security . As someone who manages a business, I m personally quite happy to pay any sort of tax so long as I can see it s going to the right cause. With IT security, you re paying to safeguard the effectiveness and productivity of your business processes. IT is intended to enhance business performance and profitability, but every increment in technology strategy within an organisation (new VoIP phone system, web applications, 3G devices, etc) actually threatens to have the reverse effect if IT security isn t comprehensively and proactively covered off. When it comes to select which IT security solution to deploy for your specific business circumstances, it s critical to achieve the right balance between the liberating possibilities of technology and the potentially constraining effects that crack-down IT security can represent. A great â€" though slightly spurious â€" demonstration of how to utterly fail to achieve this balance would be to hire an IT administrator to perform the role of Anti-Virus Filter ; a function typically fulfilled by some sort of appliance that checks all network traffic (emails, files transferred, etc) for viruses against an evolving database of virus signatures, administering an antidote to those it finds. In doing this the advantages in terms of security effectiveness would be world-beating as I guarantee no harmful traffic would ever enter or leave your network. On the downside - unless your guy is particularly quick-fingered - you will find operational efficiency takes a ferocious beating as your entire business grinds to a halt within microseconds. While admittedly quite a silly example, be assured that - back in the real world - the conflict this represents is played out every day in the IT infrastructures of businesses large and small. Security should be fundamentally intelligent, i.e., non-disruptive, sensitive to its changing environment, easy to get along with and very, very fast. It does NOT exist to impede or delay the business processes that you ve already invested IT resources in attempting to accelerate. Beware: surprisingly few security vendors or even independent consultants seem capable of grasping this. Another balancing act to be aware of is the challenge of increasingly complex IT infrastructures, each of which require a security checklist before they can be safely implemented. The watchword here is flexibility , and while it’s difficult to achieve it is by no means impossible. The double-edged sword of IT is sharpest when the question of security is posed. The skill in wielding it can allow businesses to embrace more opportunity without more risk, and more revenues without more expense. Chris is General Manager of Comtec Enterprises comtec.com Chris is responsible for the daily management of the ICT, Power and Technical divisions. He also oversees the development of product solutions and managed services for both Comtec s ICT and Power divisions and has extensive experience of IT security hardware, such as the Barracuda range of products. Chris business development experience in the IT market, has seen him work in Senior Management roles with start up companies both in the UK and the US.