Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Beware of Scare Tactics in Security

    By
    Cameron Sturdevant
    -
    April 30, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The computer security industry got its groove back at the RSA Security Conference by invoking FUD—fear, uncertainty and doubt—to wrest the attention and dollars of corporate IT managers. Entrepreneurs and investors, a fine group of foxes, are trying to profit in a down market by selling guard services to the henhouse. IT managers should resist

      being scared into purchases. At best, organizations that immediately buy a wide range of security products, ranging from intrusion-detection and virus-scanning software to firewalls and smart cards, are going to be the integration guinea pigs for the vendors. And judging by the security industrys track record thus far, the guinea pigs are in for quite a bit of pain.

      Whats more, neither the corporate-paid doctoral students nor the feral hackers-turned-industry experts who spoke at the RSA conference in April have come up with a way to make security products any stronger than a Post-it note. In other words, the need to keep track of passwords still leads users to write down their secret words.

      I can already hear the howls from vendors of single-sign-on products. What these vendors forget is that they are dealing with real people. Real people have PINs for their bank accounts and wallets or purses full of credit cards, passwords for personal bill payment systems, passwords to access screen savers and confidential documents, and PINs or passwords for at least 10 other services.

      People write these PINs and passwords down. They are especially sure to write them down if IT managers have instituted prudent password-creation rules, for example, requiring that the password not contain common words, that it be a certain length, that it contain letters and numbers and—heres the killer—that it change every two or three months.

      Sure, some vendors have come up with smart cards and biometric systems that can eliminate the need for passwords. An interesting session at the RSA conference, “Attacks and countermeasures for USB hardware token devices,” discussed the methods used to compromise such systems. And biometric systems come with their own “gotchas,” not the least of which are expense and installation.

      IT managers should focus on the limited amount of data that must be protected. Be leery of products and services that fall outside the scope of your organizations protection effort. Finally, dont panic when the foxes show up dangling the latest horror story.

      Cameron Sturdevant
      Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at [email protected]

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×