All aspects of IT will be movable, dynamic and interactive in the near future. The access, the data, the workload and all computing. End users' mobile devices will be able to access and store hundreds of GB of data, virtual servers will mobilise computing power between network segments, data centres and even outside of the corporate environment, and into the public cloud.
This is according to Trend Micro SA country manager, Greg Anderson, who says these changes will cause all aspects of information security to be challenged and reconsidered. He says traditional network security will no longer be relevant. A new generation of security practices, which will stress the dynamic aspect of computing power and data will arise.
According to the company, next generation security will have certain characteristics. "Firstly, security should be architected from the ground up to integrate with and leverage virtualisation and cloud computing technologies and models."
Security must be mobile too, says Trend Micro. "It must travel with the data, applications and devices it is entrusted to protect. In a world driven by mobility, with 3G networks and the consumerisation of IT, with smartphones and tablets, security has to be mobile."
In addition, the endpoint protection presence must be as small as possible to fit on smaller and thinner devices such as virtual machines, smartphones and USB-based devices. The endpoint must consume less memory, CPU time and input / output.
"Speed is also vital," says the security giant. "Security must be fast to provision, quick to update. Considering how new threats are discovered every second, and the speed with which virtual machines can be provisioned or moved from a dormant to active state, to impose a minimal impact on system performance."
Security also needs to be easy to integrate with existing IT infrastructure and solutions, and simple to operate. It must include automation, notifications, reporting and other features that reduce management and maintenance time.
Trend Micro says a broad range of fundamental security controls, such as AV, encryption, data loss prevention, firewalls, IDS/IPS, file integrity monitoring and log inspection, should be virtualised and operate seamlessly in virtualised and cloud environments. "Point security solutions are not sufficient."
Finally, considering the trend towards consumerisation, security solutions must be not only globally available, but readily accessible to consumers. They must provide effective protection, be aligned with corporate IT standards and backed by global support.
In conclusion, Anderson says mobility is key. As enterprises look to benefit from virtualisation and cloud technologies, and consumers adopt mobile devices, security can smooth over these transitions, and help enterprises reap the benefits.
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