IT Security Policy from SECURE COMPUTING®

Policy Compliance and Security Decisions

When a company makes buying decisions regarding security appliances such as firewalls or Internet security software, one of the greatest deciding factors in both the initial purchase and the ongoing maintenance is the underlying security policy. The IT security policy is what drives the company's requirements, and the tools that will be needed to fulfill those requirements.

To be sure, unbreakable IT network security ends with the right technology, but it starts with the network IT security policy. Security policy is also what will drive how each individual within the enterprise carries out their day-to-day tasks within a secure framework. And lastly, a company's IT security policy has taken on even greater importance in the face of state and federal regulations that mandate how individual companies approach security and privacy.

However, a critical mistake can be made when the IT security policy is not connected to the technology used to implement it. Computer network security cannot exist without the network IT security policy. The technology must allow the administrator the ability to create individual security policy items, and it must also allow for a mechanism of enforcement and reporting. Secure Computing's suite of security appliances allows for strict IT security policy enforcement at all levels.

An example of security policy is to say that all end user workstations must have up-to-date anti-virus software. An example of security policy enforcement however, is to say that not only must every workstation have the anti-virus software, technology must also be in place to deny connections to workstations that do not have it in place. Secure Computing's enforced compliance makes sure that security policy is being followed, and that action can be taken if it is not. Endpoint configuration compliance ensures that all endpoints on the network are in compliance with security policy, and that the company is in compliance with legislative mandates such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA.

For more information on Secure Computing's IT security policy solutions, please visit our Products-at-a-Glance page.

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