Page 66 - Cyber Warnings

From the Smart Perimeter to the Smart Guard:

Why It’s Critical to Understand the Paradigm Shift in Data Security

By: Tom Gilheany, product manager, CISSP, Cisco Systems

Historically, perimeter defense was the gold standard in data security. Guard the perimeter, and
you’ve secured the system. However, in today’s landscape, the proverbial “building the castle” is
not enough. Cyber criminals are no longer just clawing at the front door—they’re also chipping
away at bricks, digging tunnels under walls, and sending in Trojan horses.

And that’s not to mention the huge number of potential insider threats—including those that are
unintentional.

A modern approach—one that goes far beyond simple architecture and perimeter controls—
requires an additional focus on security operations.

With the rapid transformation of the security landscape, it’s easy for organizations to be
concerned that new threats will require a complete overhaul of existing security technology. Not
so. Today’s threat landscape requires a combination of the old and new.

Adding security operations as a new second layer allows companies to actively and
continuously monitor threats, as opposed to using a set-it-and-forget-it approach and hoping for
the best.

Protecting an organization today requires a multifaceted strategy that leverages evolving
technologies such as Internet of Things, Big Data, and analytics. In addition to external defense,
companies require guards that can monitor, detect, and respond to threats across the entire
network in real time.

Hardened Walls Must Pair with Smart Guards

Analytics and Big Data capabilities are a necessary part of today’s cyber defense. Using the
entire network as a sensor allows users to spot the needles in the haystack and hone in on the
malicious activity that must be shut down. This is truly a game-changing approach, a stark
contrast from the old time-consuming and imperfect ways of manually sifting through alarms.

Today, the ability to program an analytics engine delivers exactly the security data an
organization is looking for, and it permits admins to use a triaged approach to gain actionable
intelligence.

This pervasive level of network visibility available with today’s technology is critical in protecting
against threats and is a core element in today’s cybersecurity arsenal.

66 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2016 Edition
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