IT Audit — Opinions

Role-based Access Control: Access, security, info tracking

Controlling access to sensitive data is of utmost concern for the world’s most complex business and network environments. The amount of security-related data stored across a network is immense for many organizations, and relating all this data to the user’s account information in Active Directory can be tricky and time consuming.

Dean Wiech | 06 Apr | Read more

The Next Generation of Assessing Information Risk

Digital information is the heart of today’s organisations. It’s growing exponentially, and its effective use and management is directly linked to the continued success of the modern enterprise. However, digital technologies and global interconnection have introduced a significant number of new risks and greatly amplified existing ones. There are now many significant, high-profile examples of information risks being realised, and their impacts continue to grow. Organisations simply must improve their management of information risk.

Steve Durbin | 30 Mar | Read more

How SSL encryption gives a false sense of security

Major web browsers and many web sites rely on the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, which encrypts confidential information, such as credit card numbers, before sending them securely over the internet. SSL encryption ensures that email, e-commerce, voice-over-IP, online banking, remote health and countless other services are kept secure.

Ananda Rajagopal | 03 Mar | Read more

Do you know the “Three Cs” of web app security?

We live in an application world. From shopping to communicating with friends, reading the news, following our favourite sports teams to listening to music – we do it through apps. With so many interactions and transactions now taking place via apps, maintaining security is becoming a big concern.

Matt Miller | 20 Feb | Read more

App Security- the great unspoken

There is no shortage of conversation around enterprise security. In light of some recent, high-profile hacking incidents, everyone’s talking about the importance of securing networks, data and devices in avoiding a worst case scenario of confidential customer or organisational information or IP being compromised. Interestingly, these conversations often neglect one vital component- the applications that operate on these systems and how their own vulnerabilities can bring down an organisations’ entire security strategy.

Mav Turner | 20 Feb | Read more

Data Breaches Set to Rise in 2015

2015 is likely to be ‘as bad or worse’ for large-scale data breaches than 2014, when a series of incidents at large companies exposed the sensitive information of millions of people and businesses, according to a new report.

Thu Pham | 10 Feb | Read more

Password Protection: How Far Can Hackers Get?

For years, passwords have been the dominant means by which organisations authenticate customer access to online services. Password-based authentication is easy and familiar for customers, and is initially inexpensive for organizations to deploy at scale. But, while password-based authentication may be appropriate in some instances, it is no longer suitable for the wide range of services where it is currently being used.

Steve Durbin | 13 Jan | Read more

Why businesses have never been more vulnerable to large DDoS attacks

Recently there has been an almost constant feed of news around distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, with banks, gaming organisations, governments, educational establishments and e-commerce vendors all being attacked. The DDoS threat has evolved considerably over recent years, with significant changes in the frequency and scale of attacks, and the motivations of cyber criminals. And, over a similar period, many organisations have become highly dependent on the availability of Internet services for their business continuity.

Nick Race | 12 Jan | Read more