RE: Security Audit

["Dom De Vitto" <Dom () DeVitto com>]

> From: Phil Cracknell [mailto:phil () orthus com]
> <SNIP>
> > > Other problem can be also giving away
> > > models and methods, because there are many
> > smartasses that are just looking
> > > after knowledge to do the job themselfs.
>
> We have a methodology and would not hesitate in giving it to our clients,
we
> do so regularly, and we also abstract from this a detailed test plan for
> them. These documents allow for some form of measurement in all of this
and
> as a result if a cowboy tries to sell them a $500 remote scan they have
> something to compare it too.

Great I think the cowboys/salesfolk all need lining up against a wall...

> The 'right' sort of client will have already identified that doing the job
> themselves is not the right approach I would hope, regardless of how smart
> their ass is.

Nope, I totally disagree.  If the company can afford to spend circa $150,000
pa
on a _good_ consultant, that consultant will know more about their
infrastructure,
technologies, software and risks than any "one week wonder".  They'll also
gauge
risk accurately for *that* company, e.g. which is worse - intrusion or DOS ?
For (say) a retailer, a small intrusion will cost them a lot less than a
total DOS,
but for a bank the reverse is likely to be true....for instance.

It's nice to have fresh young 'uns that can "walk-the-walk" - if you
can't...

But frankly it's far better value to get a permanent, 100% security guru
to do the work, and give them the responsibility to monitor and enforce a
level
of security before, before and after infrastructure goes live.

Saying that a smart client is never as good as a consultant assumes the
cream
of the security set (ahem) haven't gone "permie"...
...say, for a quite indecent amount of cash :-)

Dom





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