Compaq 108164-003 - ProLiant - 800 White Paper page 9

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nature of some attacks, and because digital material can be copied without any evidence of access
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or theft. In addition, most computer crimes and security incidents go unreported because businesses
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are unwilling to reveal the weaknesses of their computer systems to outsiders.
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Vulnerability stems from the implementation of only basic security measures. The most commonly
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used of these are log-in passwords and anti-virus software. These solutions, however, are easily
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defeated by a sophisticated virus attack. Unfortunately, the more advanced security solutions such
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. . as firewalls, token-based (two-factor) authentication, and data encryption have earned only limited
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acceptance and installation so far.
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While these factors have left IT managers gravely concerned about security issues, their
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implementation of security solutions and technologies has lagged these concerns. Although three-
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quarters of IT managers reported that their senior management viewed security as a critical priority,
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two-thirds of technology managers stated that they are not confident that their networks are
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protected from attack. Despite these concerns, 55% of companies spend 5% or less of their IT
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budget on security, and the percentage of companies with an information security officer has
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actually declined over the past year.
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These facts point to several conclusions:
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The need for enterprise-level security is increasing rapidly due to the growth in the networked
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and inter-networked computing environment, the vulnerability of corporate information and
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assets, and the variety of threats that have emerged in this environment.
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IT security expenditures are minute in comparison with the total losses caused by poor
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computing security.
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While the new threats to enterprise computing security are complex and diverse, the primary
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. . causes (insiders, viruses, and passwords) are well known.
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Demand for computing security will increase dramatically within the next 10-18 months.
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Enterprises will require device, internal network, and external network security solutions that
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carry minimal costs and administrative overhead.
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