Check Point UTM-1 Edge User Manual page 54

Introduction to Information Security
•
Commercial companies store information about their revenues, business and
marketing plans, current and future product lines, information about competitors,
and so on.
Just as the type of information may differ from organization to organization, the form in
which it is stored may vary. For example, some forms of information are:
•
Information recorded in written media, such as paper documents, books, and
files
•
Knowledge that is stored in a person's mind and can be exchanged verbally
•
Information stored on electronic media, such as computers' hard drives, CDs,
and tapes
The form in which an organization stores its information may make the information more
or less accessible to people outside the organization.
Why Protect Business Information?
There are various reasons why it is necessary to protect business information:
•
To prevent the theft, abuse, misuse, or any form of damage to crucial
information
For example, no business wants to find its customer list or future secret product line
plans in the hands of the competition.
•
To comply with local laws
Local laws may enforce the protection, integrity, and availability of specific
information, such as an individual's personal details, in order to respect the
individual's right to privacy. Local laws may also enforce the security requirements
made in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
•
To comply with another organization's security requirements
Some organizations require their business partners to comply with international
standards of security.
40 Check Point UTM-1 Edge User Guide