IBM Tivoli and Cisco manual Business context

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Chapter 1. Business context

Information Technology (IT) security is a vital component of business success and is very important in e-business security and security for on demand services. As the Internet increasingly becomes an effective means to conduct business, the challenge of protecting IT infrastructures from intruders and malicious attacks increases as well. When an IT resource (server, workstation, printer, and so on) is connected to a network, it becomes a target for a persistent hacker. Corporate networks are constantly under attack by intruders seeking access for their personal gain. In a world where everyone relies on the Internet, it is not difficult for an intruder to find the tools on the Web to assist in breaking into an enterprise network. To overcome this immense threat faced by many organizations, a

corporation must identify every user accessing its network and allow access only to authorized users who are identified and meet corporate compliance criteria.

Every time an intruder successfully breaks into a corporate network or infects

computers with a virus or malicious code, it can cause damage that may result in substantial financial loss (loss of revenue) to the businesses involved.

Enterprises must defend their IT infrastructure continuously and keep themselves protected from intruders. One infected server or workstation can potentially bring the whole corporate network to its knees if it does not comply with corporate security policies.

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