Johannesburg, 12 Jul 2002
Intrusion refers to any instance where an attempt is made to compromise the security of a network. Although threats are numerous and vary in severity, they occur frequently and can be extremely costly. Despite this, many companies have yet to incorporate intrusion detection solutions as part of overall security policy.
It is a fact within the world of information technology that security has become paramount. Like many other spin-off markets that have developed off information communication, security was born out of a demand to counter challenges that have emerged with the advent of the Internet and enhanced means of data transfer.
Challenges are widespread and may be internal or external. Hackers, crackers, viruses, hoaxes and even espionage are all examples of the very real threats that exist within the world of online communication. They all have the ability to cause damage and increase cost through downtime, data corruption or loss, effect on bandwidth, maintenance and repair.
According to Christian Runte, Director at IT communication and security specialist Biodata IT South Africa, intrusion detection has found a place on the list of corporate IT spend.
"However, the local market still has a long way to go before solutions are fully integrated and form a central part of security policies. It is mainly the larger corporations that have taken the lead as far as the integration of intrusion detection solutions is concerned. There are various solutions in the market that offer interfaces to existing firewalls or anti-virus software and compatibility with existing security devices is a significant consideration. Compatibility, at the end of the day, will play a huge role in the success of the solution implemented," adds Runte.
AVS Content security specialist COO Clint Carrick echoes this sentiment.
"Intrusion detection systems are designed to help prevent unauthorised entry on a network, and warn administrators of any intrusion at any time. This is all managed by a central policy that is defined by each organisation. There are several IDS solutions available to corporation at present; however when it comes to a security solution that this important, one should only consider tried and tested solutions."
While there may be ways of evaluating the strength of a solution, just how serious are threats to a network anyway?
Says Carrick: "The threat to corporations that choose not to implement intrusion detection would be equal to not implementing an effective anti-virus solution. I would then ask the question, how important is your information?"
Both Runte and Carrick agree: the cost implications of acquiring an efficient intrusion detection solution are minimal in comparison to the cost of losing information to a competitor.
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