Defence in Depth, do you need client/server edge security?

Most businesses understand the need for IT security, and fortunately the level of user awareness is growing as each new virus outbreak hits the headlines.

With this has come a whole new industry providing software and hardware designed to provide a more secure environment and putting enormous pressure on security teams to keep up to date with new threats.

At the most basic level an organisation should have a secure IT perimeter (using technologies such as firewalls) that will keep most intruders out. Many of these defences will be provided as standard by internet services providers or a larger organisation may prefer to manage these technologies in house and build their own firewall structure.

Unfortunately this is where many organisations stop. They have built their perimeter and now sit back in the false sense of security that it gives them.

What they have failed to see is the importance of security defence in depth.

What does this mean? Well consider this scenario. 

Mobile computing is now prevalent. The form factor of these devices has reduced over the years such that credit card sized devices have huge computing power and enable users to browse the internet and work with email, spreadsheets and word processor files.