Yes, the question is “Are you really secure?” Now that I’ve asked a loaded question, let me get to the point.
The term “secure” sure has a lot of different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. If we take it from a corporate security perspective, your options are somewhat limited to physical security, as in video surveillance or physical access, or logical security, as in your laptop or data access. But, when you ask a security professional if they are secure, they will most certainly take that in the context of what they can control, and will most likely answer “yes”.
Well, what about the things you cannot control? You can control which products you buy to provide security, you control how they are installed and configured, and you control the processes and procedures that identify how they are managed and updated. But, can you control how they are manufactured?
Recently, during my daily “let’s see what’s happening today” routine, I read an article that struck me in an eerie — better yet, intriguing — manner. The gist of the story is that a crime ring syndicated from cyber space, consisting of Internet-savvy folks and run-of-the-mill thieves, managed to purchase (let’s just call it what it is, steal) thousands of dollars in products while conducting shopping sprees at Apple stores.
Its that time of year again -- the Annual Cisco Security Review. We decided to feature a whole show on this one -- which makes it fun but also of course brings a fair set of challenges. As good as we are…we can’t cover it all. You MUST read the report. It is quite good.
So where did we go with it?
We brought in some friends and fun with a few topics as well -- notes are below…but let us know your favorites! Read More »
Yesterday I was going through my mail at home, and a nicely decorated print ad caught my eye with a title “Cyber Monday Event.” Wow, it’s only early November, but retailers are already racing to jumpstart the holiday shopping season, including online shopping promotions. Are you ready to dive in?
In my previous blogpost, I shared information about National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October and how Cisco supported this great event. I attended the October 6 “A Unified Message for Cybersecurity” forum at Intel and other related activities. With the “Stop. Think. Connect.” message in place, the support of excellent public and private partnerships, and participation from numerous organizations and individuals, I feel that the cybersecurity awareness campaign has reached critical mass this year. In the meantime, the need for cyber security is further evidenced by a number of events, such as Firesheep and new online banking security flaws disclosed within the past 30 days.
Stop. Think. Connect. It’s the main theme for cyber security awareness that you and I will hear again and again. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Founded by volunteers from 7 companies in 2001, NCSA has grown into a strong cyber security advocate and a great example of public and private partnerships. Last year alone, NCSA reached out to an estimated 40,000,000 people through their media campaigns, local meetings and other activities. The National Cyber Security Awareness Month was first launched by NCSA in 2004.
Cisco will join the community to support this great event. Here are some highlights of activities where Cisco is involved:
