05 May 2010

Defence in depth key to data security, expert says

Businesses have been advised that they must use "defence in depth" principles to ensure their IT infrastructure remains secure at all times.

Michael Horowitz wrote in a blog post for Datamation that the best way to ensure data security is maintained is to avoid using systems that are highly popular, such as Adobe Reader and Internet Explorer, and instead to use applications that are focused on much less by criminals.

He asked: "You lock your house when you're away and you might even have a car alarm to protect your ride. But how secure is the business data residing on your computers and small business network?"

Elsewhere, Con Mallon, product marketing director for Norton products at Symantec, recently said businesses should ensure their employees are aware of the need for strict email security protocols in order to keep confidential data secure.

He claimed easy to guess passwords and lax protection are some of the main causes for email security breaches.