Little more than 10 years ago, security was barely a newborn in diapers.
With only a handful of security professionals in 1994, few practiced security
and even fewer truly understood it. Security technologies amounted to
little more than anti-virus software and packet filtering routers at that time.
And the concept of a “hacker” came primarily from the Hollywood movie “War
Games”; or more often it referred to someone with a low golf score. As a result,
just like Rodney Dangerfield it got “no respect” and no one took it seriously.
IT professionals saw it largely as a nuisance, to be ignored — that is until
they were impacted by it.
Today, the number of Certified Information Systems Security Professionals
(CISSP) have topped 23,000 (www.isc2.org) worldwide, and there are more
security companies dotting the landscape than anyone could possibly remember.
Today security technologies encompass everything from authentication
and authorization, to firewalls and VPNs. There are so many ways to address
the security problem that it can cause more than a slight migraine simply considering
the alternatives. And the term “hacker” has become a permanent part
of our everyday vernacular — as defined in nearly daily headlines. The world
(and its criminals) has changed dramatically.
So what does all this mean for you, the home/end user or IT/security professional
that is thrust into this dangerous online world every time you hit the
power button on your computer? The answer is “everything”. The digital
landscape is peppered with land mines that can go off with the slightest
touch or, better yet, without any provocation whatsoever. Consider some
simple scenarios:

 

download this e-book