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Security
typically several departments Finally, web security vendors need to solutions are evolving to deliver
involved, each with their own methods improve their tools and services with benefits to both networking and
that operate independently. As an eye towards automating the key security professionals. A service that
systems grow more complex, the processes of management, policy provides both parties with reporting
duplicated processes become labour- compliance, enforcement, dashboards that show performance
intensive and wasteful. consolidated reporting and and security together; that can
visualisation in order to foster and interpret the networking impact of
IT management is recognising that strengthen the relationship between security threats or see a network issue
common functions should be the two parties. Indeed the challenge and correlate the threat inside will
converged through a change for many vendors is to leverage the deliver value to both areas of the
management and workflow process positive potential of their applications business. Where a single family of
that balances the need for security whilst protecting the corporate devices can both block or bandwidth
with the goals of the business. network from web viruses, spyware manage least-desirable content while
At a more granular level, unified and other malware that could accelerating the business-critical data,
reporting can provide IT staff with a compromise network security. The IT security and IT networking both
better picture of how systems are answer is to provide a fully installed benefit.
performing as well as guide change
management processes and help in With one view, one management
consistent application of interface and the ability to define
configuration, patch, and vulnerability policies and priorities based not only
management. IT management on traditional networking parameters
professionals at all levels need to (port, application) and security
work together to overcome traditional parameters (user, content)
barriers built up over the past decade. simultaneously, network managers
In many cases, traditional systems and security managers will find natural
and security roles tend to foster areas of cooperation and the business
separate silos of administration and will ultimately benefit.
management. This manifests itself in
security and networking professionals From a security and network
buying different products from management perspective, companies
different vendors without considering could then adopt a solution that will
the benefits of sharing systems and mean savings in time and resources.
using common platforms. IT A service that provides the two parties
professionals must assume a with a dashboard which enables
leadership role by looking beyond information on site category, URL,
their formal functions and job user, department, number of bytes
definitions to gain a broader downloaded, time of day or length of
perspective and sense of customer download. Part of a modular approach
value that IT can offer the organisation system into the complex network to building these solutions comes
as a whole. environment, facilitated by a flexible from choosing tools that result in
architecture that allows organisations immediate value, measured in terms
Thinking outside the box to overcome the many security of days, not weeks, months or years.
Obviously executive management challenges.
commitment (IT and otherwise) to Consensus and cooperation among IT
exploring the convergence can be a Deploying products that aim to deliver professionals can be built over time
significant force in encouraging and in just one area risks alienating the but results have to be measured and
rewarding thinking outside the other – network managers don’t want articulated as soon as possible to
traditional boxes that separate a device on the network that slows justify the investment. By choosing
network and security management. data down just as security managers specific areas to address first and
Business service management don’t need a device that speeds up making sure solutions show rapid
programs, for example, need to have malware, spyware and virus results, security and network
specific objectives for exploiting propagation and yet both types of professionals can build and sustain
convergence opportunities in the devices are available from single- not only the momentum, but their
critical areas previously mentioned. focus manufacturers. Over time, converging relationship.
44 | DATA CENTRE SOLUTIONS |
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