Protecting your IT assets: take care of your networks and computers, so hackers don't get in and private information out.

• Author: Stong-Michas, Jennifer

Spam, spy ware, Trojan programs, worms and viruses are on the rise and businesses need to understand that keeping such things out of computers and off of networks is a seemingly never-ending battle.

TOOLS

Vulnerability assessment tools are an instrumental first step in understanding just what exposures are present on the network. Some may refer to these as security audits since they evaluate current conditions and provide solutions for problems, and potential problems.

These tools perform network scans that help to reveal where problems may lie. Though that is a simplistic definition, it sums up their purpose. Knowing what vulnerabilities exist is the first step in correcting those problems. These scans need to be run regularly since new threats occur all the time.

Those performing vulnerability assessments can utilize such tools to scan networks to not only determine what vulnerabilities are present, but the tools can also be used to list those susceptibilities in a prioritized order. This then allows for the entity performing the assessment to tackle to the most critical vulnerabilities first and foremost.

One thing to keep in mind when using vulnerability assessment tools is that permission from the organization, or customer, who actually owns the network, is a definite requirement. Though that may seem to be a common practice, it is one that bears repeating.

THE MULTIPLE SYSTEMS ISSUE

The shift toward interconnected and interdependent system architectures has opened the door to more network threats in general. This type of shift brings more systems and components into the network equation such as HVAC controllers, video monitoring systems, physical security controls and biometric systems.

For example, if an HVAC system were connected to the main network, an attacker would be able to wreak havoc on the main network itself by exploiting the HVAC system remotely. This same scenario could be replicated for just about any other integrated building system, especially since many of them nowadays allow for remote access, monitoring and control.

INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEMS

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) are some of the new kids on the secured computing block. While these network-based systems are on the rise, they are still misunderstood and not used nearly enough. Certain types of businesses might require an IDS since the data they house is personal, proprietary and confidential.

The casino and hospitality industries provide good examples of...