Virtual round table panel tackles security issues

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/computing/2000/0008031124.asp?A=SEC&S=Security&T=Section&O=C

BY STAFF REPORTER, ITWEB

[Johannesburg, 3 August 2000] - Yesterday's online security round
table, hosted by ITWeb, saw five local security experts hammer out the
issues facing South African corporate companies today. Topics ranged
from denial of service attacks to the threat of modems on the LAN.
The topic of an Internet service provider's (ISP) responsibility
versus the user's responsibility especially corporate users was hotly
debated: Business should never abdicate responsibility, commented
Chris Davis, director of network security for Netcom.

Craig Levy, operations director of Data Pro Business Online, noted
that while most customers are aware of security issues, they refuse to
spend another cent, as they see the cost already being too high. They
might acknowledge it but they won't do anything about it.

Ian Melamed, CTO of Satellite Safe and MD of Ian Melamed Secure
Computing, commented: How can you expect clients to be aware of these
implications? With the rapid growth we are experiencing, at any point
half the users have less than six months of experience. Effective
security requires that you deny access first and only allow ports to
be open.

According to the panel, the local hacking community seems to be quite
advanced, but with the pervasiveness of the Internet, a hacker's
location becomes irrelevant.

I think the level is fairly high, bearing in mind that we are using a
medium that is pervasive where info sharing is exceedingly easy. The
location of a hacker becomes pretty irrelevant, said Etienne Greeff,
director of Information Security Architects.

Being an ISP, we find our customers trying to access certain ports on
foreign networks day in and out. It's difficult to police and control
your customer base, noted Levy. However, it needs to be done.

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