Security Management Strategies for the CIOAccess "Shiny-blinky things: Security of IT security products often overlooked"
This article is part of the May 2003 issue of Buying spree: 2003 product survey results
Youch! Just when the propeller heads thought the tide had turned in the "security vs. features" war, along comes proof that shiny-blinky things* are exactly what the majority of security pros covet most in the IT security products they buy. My fear is that the demand for features and functionality will lead to "bad" shiny-blinkiness: Features for features' sake; features at the expense of security engineering. As part of our 2003 Product Survey, we asked more than 1,100 IT security professionals what they valued most in a security product. Nearly 60 percent said "features and functions." About one-fifth of respondents said they valued the product's fit into their existing infrastructure. Less than 10 percent mentioned the product's own security. Again, I say: Youch. It's a rite of passage for security geeks to complain about vendor emphasis on features over security. You don't have to look far to find list servers or chat rooms or seminars where feature-bashers gather to decry security's sacrifice at the altar of shiny-blinkiness. The main target, of course,... Access >>>
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Features
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IT professionals are planning massive security rollouts over the next three years. But shrinking IT security budgets may throw a wrench in the works.
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Buying IT security products? Learn to recognize vendor hype
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Shrinking IT security budgets may affect product rollouts
by Andrew Briney and Frank Prince
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Using identity management tools to manage user accounts, populations
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Columns
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Shiny-blinky things: Security of IT security products often overlooked
by Andrew Briney
When buying IT security products, enterprises often neglect to consider whether the products themselves are secure.
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Kevin Mitnick security conference shrouded in secrecy
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The famed ex-con hacker's "super-secret" security conference shields executives from public view.
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Identifying which type of firewall is right for you
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Shiny-blinky things: Security of IT security products often overlooked
by Andrew Briney
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