Re: Outsourcing Firewalls/Internet Security count

["Paul D. Robertson" <proberts () clark net>]

On Thu, 4 Dec 1997, Rick Low wrote:

> What's the difference between the Honeywells and ADTs of the world and the
> network security business?  Will network security ever get to the same

Network security is protecting something which has an order of magnitude
more and different threats than physical security.  If someone fails at 
physical security, there's not much likelyhood that the intruder will
alter the physical structure of the building to add a false office for
the CFO with carefully planted changes to his physical devices.  Also, there
is a physical chain of evidence, which is much, much different than a logical
intrusion.  The level of risk and commitment necessary to do physical 
intrusion is significantly more than that necessary to do an electronic 
intrusion.  Same reasons people rob 7-11s instead of banks these days.

> level of "maturity" of the physical security world, so that outsourcing
> *is* sensible?  If so, when?  If not, why not?

It's got nothing to do with maturity, the difference is in the medium.
It's like asking DRAM will ever get to the maturity of human memory and 
start selectively forgetting things.

Paul
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul D. Robertson      "My statements in this message are personal opinions
proberts () clark net      which may have no basis whatsoever in fact."
                                                                     PSB#9280