[iwar] [fc:Will.computer.security.receive.new.emphasis.after.Sept..11.terrorism]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-10-08 10:55:02

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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 10:55:02 -0700 (PDT)
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Subject: [iwar] [fc:Will.computer.security.receive.new.emphasis.after.Sept..11.terrorism]
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Will computer security receive new emphasis after Sept. 11 terrorism 
By Victor Godinez, Security News Portal, 10/8/2001
<a href="http://www.securitynewsportal.com/article.php?sid=1855&mode=thread&order=0">http://www.securitynewsportal.com/article.php?sid=1855&mode=thread&order=0>

The stunning attacks of Sept.  11 have forced many companies and
government agencies to rethink their physical security measures and
response plans.  But the federal government is also warning businesses
to beware of a potential rise in computer network and data threats. 

The result could be a greater demand for network and data security
professionals.  Experts say the effect will be minimal in the short run,
however, as companies continue to operate with limited information
technology budgets.  Some managers may also view the terrorist attacks
as a one-time, isolated event.  "The [lack of interest in] data security
is kind of baffling," said William Stevens, president of Myrdin
Technology Systems and Software Inc.  (www.myrdin.com) in Dallas.  "It's
something that really needs to be done and people don't tend to ever
take very seriously, yet you see these worms and viruses going around."
 The National Infrastructure Protection Center warned on Sept.  14, for
example, that a new version of the life_stages.txt.shs virus had been
renamed wtc.txt.vbs, apparently a reference to the World Trade Center. 

Mr.  Stevens said most companies dealing in e-commerce have already
secured their Web sites to safeguard customer data, but others with
basic informational sites have been less diligent. 

"Typically, what I see is very reactive, not proactive," he said.  "I
had a lady call me the other day.  She said 'Oh my gosh, I just had
everything stolen.  My entire office has been obliterated.'

"I said 'Well, what kind of security system did you have?' [She said]
'Oh, I had one in, but I didn't turn it on.' I said, 'Well, that's OK. 
We'll just get your backups and restore your system.' [She said] 'I
didn't do any backups.' People don't do what they know they ought to do
until it's too late."

The cooling economic climate has also discouraged companies from
spending money on projects that don't produce immediate profits, said
Tim Kinnear, president and chief executive officer of Richardson-based
Intrusion.com (www.intrusion.com), which develops software to help
companies detect and prevent network attacks and hacks. 

"If you have a Web site, for example, where you're conducting a billion
dollars in e-commerce a year, and that Web site gets taken down for a
week, that can be a significant impact on your business," Mr.  Kinnear
said.  "So as executives understand the risks associated with
cyber-attacks and cyber-terrorism and so forth, they begin looking at
security not just as an expense, but as a business enabler.  "I think
that's where we're getting to today, where people understand they need
these technologies to enable their business."

Gary Fish, chief executive officer of Kansas City-based FishNet Security
(www.fish netsecurity.com), which has a Dallas office, concurred.  "It's
pretty much proven that corporations right now only spend about 5
percent of their IT budget on security," Mr.  Fish said.  "The fact that
we're only getting 5 percent of the budget right now and doing very well
on it means that in the years to come, as people put more [funds for]
security in their budgets, this whole industry is going to do very
well."

Mr.  Kinnear said the information security field is still young and the
long-term growth of the industry should create a variety of openings for
aspiring security professionals. 

"You always just need good programmers, good C language programmers, but
clearly knowledge of networks and knowledge of network security is a
tremendous advantage in this sector," Mr.  Kinnear said.  "We have a
number of employees who have military backgrounds, were involved in
government cyber-defense, and those backgrounds are also very
advantageous."

"I think it is a good opportunity" for interested tech workers, Mr. 
Kinnear added.  "It's also an exciting opportunity because in many ways
we are at the forefront of technology.  "

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