Security Management Strategies for the CIOAccess "The growth of information security acronyms"
This article is part of the March 2003 issue of Dollars and sense: Getting the security budget you need -- and spending it wisely
I've worked with some classic "merit badge collectors" over the years. Dr. Larry Lotsaletters, as we called him, was perhaps the worst offender. He included six acronyms in his e-mail signature, but nobody knew what they signified. To me, Larry's Ph.D. was sufficient evidence of accomplishment. But he didn't budge when I gently suggested that listing all those certifications in every e-mail smacked of pretentiousness. Executives don't care about certifications.. Acting professionally, providing them with useful information, and being trustworthy is what builds respect and status. In recent months, we've seen an explosion in infosecurity and IS audit certifications. In addition to old standbys such as CISSP, CISA and GIAC, there's now TICSA, SECURITY+, CIW, CISM and so on. According to Certification Magazine, there are at least 30 vendor-neutral security credentials. I don't have a problem with the certifications themselves, but rather with the whole culture of merit badge collecting. Lately, there seems to be more interest in acronym acquisition than ... Access >>>
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Roundtable: Advice on IT security budget management
by Andrew Briney
Four CISOs discuss practical strategies for getting the security budget you need, and spending it wisely.
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Vulnerability scanners: Not the best tools for network perimeter defense
by Joel Snyder, contributor
Sidebar: Vulnerability scanners prove mediocre tools for helping IDSes protect the network perimeter.
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IT security auditing: Best practices for conducting audits
by Carole Fennelly, Contributor
Even if you hate security audits, it's in your best interest to make sure they're done right.
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Security spending on a tight information security budget
by Andrew Briney
Infosecurity budgets are increasing at a far slower rate than many people assume.
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Roundtable: Advice on IT security budget management
by Andrew Briney
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Testing and comparing vulnerability analysis tools
by Joel Snyder, Contributor
We tested five VA scanners to see how well they illuminate holes in your systems.
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Beefing up security with BIG-IP load balancer
by Scott Sidel, Contributor
F5 Networks beefs up its BIG-IP load balancer to take on a greater security role.
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Security audit tools: Vendors every auditor should use
by Caroline Fennelly, Contributor
Sidebar: An auditor should be familiar with a variety of tools and utilities, not just a single packaged scanner. They include utilities and power tools, both open source and commercial.
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Testing and comparing vulnerability analysis tools
by Joel Snyder, Contributor
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Columns
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IT security spending: How to spend less
by Andrew Briney
To get the budget you need, think like a CFO: How do we make more, or how do we spend less?
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IT security and ethical hacking: Does it do more harm than good?
by William H. Murray, Contributor
SQL Slammer was a new worm, but it's an old problem.
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Your're caught: Examining punsihment for cybercrime
by Lawrence Walsh
The Trippin Smurfs hacker gang chose the wrong day to deface NASA.
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The growth of information security acronyms
by Jay Heiser, Contributor
As more security certifications become available, there's an even greater opportunity for acronym abuse.
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Six steps for security patch management best practices
by Fred Avolio, Contributor
Six steps to help decide when you must patch...and when it's OK to wait.
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Protect Active Directory traffic with a VPN
by Russ Cooper, Contributor
Active Directory network traffic is mission critical and highly sensitive, and must be protected by a VPN.
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Security for the virtual enterprise
by John Taylor, Contributor
When everything's "outside," how do you secure the "inside"?
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IT security spending: How to spend less
by Andrew Briney
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