Defending the Digital Frontier: A Security Agenda - Hardcover

Like it or not, every company finds itself a pioneer in the digital frontier. And like all frontiers, this one involves exploration, potentially high returns . . . and high risks.

Consider this: according to Computer Economics, the worldwide economic impact of such recent attacks as Nimda, Code Red(s), and Sircam worms totaled $4.4 billion. The "Love Bug" virus in 2000 inflicted an estimated $8.75 billion in damage worldwide. The combined impact of the Melissa and Explorer attacks was $2.12 billion. Companies were hurt as much in terms of image and public confidence as they were financially. Protecting the "digital frontier" is perhaps the greatest challenge facing business organizations in this millennium. It is no longer a function of IT technologists; it is a risk management operation requiring sponsorship by management at the highest levels.

Written by leading experts at Ernst & Young, Defending the Digital Frontier: A Security Agenda deconstructs digital security for executive management and outlines a clear plan for creating world-class digital security to protect your organization’s assets and people. Achieving and defending security at the digital frontier requires more than just informed decision-making at the highest level. It requires a willingness to change your organization’s mindset regarding security. Step by step, Defending the Digital Frontier shows you how to accomplish that.

With detailed examples and real-world scenarios, the authors explain how to build in the six characteristics that a world-class digital security system must possess. You must make your system:

• Aligned with the organization’s overall objectives
• Enterprise-wide, taking a holistic view of security needs for the entire, extended organization
• Continuous, maintaining constant, real-time monitoring and updating of policies, procedures, and processes
• Proactive to effectively anticipate potential threats
• Validated to confirm that appropriate risk management and mitigation measures are in place
• Formal, so that policies, standards, and guidelines are communicated to every member of the organization

An intrusion is bound to occur to even the most strongly defended systems. Will your organization be prepared to react, or lapse into chaos? Defending the Digital Frontier introduces the Restrict, Run, and RecoverŪ model that guides organizations in formulating and implementing a clear, enterprise-wide Agenda for Action to anticipate, detect, and react effectively to intrusions. You will learn how to roll out an effective Security Awareness and Training Program, establish Incident Response procedures, and set in place digital security teams to control damage and manage risk in even worst-case scenarios.

The digital threat knows no borders and honors no limits. But for the prepared organization, tremendous rewards await out on the digital frontier. By strengthening collective digital security knowledge from the top down and developing a rock-solid, comprehensive, on-going security agenda, every organization can build a secure future. Defending the Digital Frontier will get you there.

"The charge of securing corporate America falls upon its business leaders. This book, offered by Ernst & Young and written by Mark Doll, Sajay Rai, and Jose Granado, is not only timely, but comprehensive in outlook and broad in scope. It addresses many of the critical security issues facing corporate America today and should be read by responsible senior management."
–Rudolph W. Giuliani
Former Mayor of New York

"Security is no longer just a technical issue. It needs to be managed holistically across physical and digital infrastructures as part of a wider program of risk management. That’s exactly what CA’s eTrust security solutions deliver. This is a must-read for all executives that have spent millions on information technology and have not thought about the risks. This book is a wake-up call to busy executives that think their digital assets are secure."
–Sanjay Kumar
President and CEO
Computer Associates International, Inc.

"Security can no longer be viewed simply as a necessary defensive expense. As enterprises open up their networks to millions of customers and partners around the world, security must be seen as an essential business enabler. This book demonstrates how complex network security has become, and points to the need for senior management to seek more sophisticated security management solutions, including organizational changes, in our increasingly connected world."
–John W. Thompson
Chairman and CEO, Symantec

"As companies expand their businesses outside of their traditional corporate boundaries, they encounter a whole new set of challenges related to securing their company’s assets. This book provides executives with a perspective on how to protect their company’s digital assets as they compete at the edge of the digital frontier."
–Barry Bycoff
Chairman, President and CEO, Netegrity