Elements of Optimized Security: Multi-Layered Defenses

As I’ve mentioned, we believe that an optimized security program has three key elements. The first which I discussed in an earlier post is Global Threat Intelligence. The second key element of building an optimized security posture is the deployment of multi-layered defenses. This doesn’t mean deploying a different security product for each threat that comes along. In fact, point products make multilayered protection difficult, if not impossible. The key to having effective multi-layered defenses is creating an environment where your various security solutions are integrated, correlated and centrally managed.

Historically, security management has been a complex task due to siloed security products and processes that drain resources, increase costs, and create security gaps. We took an informal poll recently that found that most respondents had anywhere from 6-15 different security product types deployed in their companies. Is this a multi-layered defense? Not exactly. Security becomes multilayered when you connect processes and intelligence across systems and networks and establish visibility across your organization.

BAE’s Director of IT Security, John Fulmer, chatted with McAfee recently about the challenges businesses face today and BAE’s multi-layered approach to security.  Like many large enterprises, BAE is faced with a constantly expanding business, new company acquisitions, a movement toward standardization and the need to keep up with the evolving threat landscape.

One of the most important recommendations John gave for creating a multi-layered defense was to make sure you understand your company’s unique environment and security pain points. Rather than tackling everything at once, create a three to five year roadmap of goals and start with one or two security initiatives where you can demonstrate success. In BAE’s case, John first tackled anti-spyware. Then, using McAfee’s central management console, ePO, John tackled endpoint encryption, pushing it out to all users in non-pre-boot fashion, then using the console to migrate users to pre-boot encryption. BAE saw immediate protection and increased visibility and control of their overall risk posture.

As John points out, getting to optimized security is not an easy path. With a constantly changing threat landscape and business environment, most companies will go back and forth among the various stages of maturity. The key, however, is to create a multi-layered program that gives you central control and deep visibility into your security posture so that you can act quickly and nimbly to address changes as they arise.

Tags: Cybercrime, Security Connected