Enterprise Systems and Security

   

Imagine someone trying to break into your house 10 times a day. Now imagine 100 times a day. Would you move? Would you buy a new security system?

Now let’s translate this into the business world. Each day an average organization’s computer infrastructure is attacked up to thousands of times each day. This has resulted in 345 million reported data privacy breaches over the past 5 years in the US alone. And at an average cost of $5.5million for each data breach,¹ these costs can add up very quickly and may end up causing unquantifiable damage to the brand and viability of the business.

The number, complexity and cost of attacks, coupled with the fact that the world is increasingly more interconnected and networked, makes security a challenge for the boardroom. Businesses need to look at security from a different angle, start getting serious about security and rely on best-of-breed technologies.

Organizations need to start developing a centralized and integrated security approach that is appropriate for their scale and complexity. Since attacks are moving downstack and 94% of all data compromised involve servers², a great place to start is with the servers and storage at the heart of a business’s IT infrastructure. Organizations looking for:

• Ultimate security by design should start with the zEnterprise EC12. System z has the world’s only commercial platform with Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 5 security classification.³
• Enhanced compliance with policy-based security compliance should start with the Power Systems.
• Security with performance, including high-speed encryption and role-based authentication, should start with Smarter Storage offerings.

Enterprise systems from IBM are the technology that underpin the financial sector with 96 out of the top 100 worldwide banks (based on asset size) using enterprise systems to secure sensitive financial information⁴.

Organizations use IBM’s enterprise systems to secure critical information across their IT infrastructure and protect the enterprise cloud infrastructure assets and resources. Enterprise systems help companies encrypt data over its lifecycle whether it is at rest or in motion. They use agreed rules and policies across lines of business to deliver applications securely and detect vulnerabilities early. They identify users and manage access control and authorization, establishing a unique, trusted identity and providing accountability for all user activities. Finally, they address regulatory mandates and enable best practices for enterprise governance, risk and compliance management.

For any of us that have had our computer hacked, our wallet stolen, our house broken into or in some way have had our personal security compromised, we all remember the time, money and effort it took to address the situation and to make sure it never happens again. Now, with enterprise systems from IBM securing your corporate house just got a whole lot easier.

To learn more please visit the IBM Smarter Computing website or watch our webcast: Smarter Computing in the New Era of IT.

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1. Ponemon Institute, 2011 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global. March 2012.
2. 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report. A study conducted by the Verizon RISK team with cooperation from the Australian Federal Police, Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, Irish Reporting and Information Security Service, Police Central e-CrimeUnit, and United States Secret Service.
3. Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), web page, New Certificates. Notes: The IBM zEnterprise 196 (z196) server achieved a Common Criteria certification at an EAL5+ level.
4. Based on IBM’s “The Banker,” System z install base and financial records.

   

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