Information systems need to reach out
to users, vendors, customers and partners (irrespective of their
location); everything is connected to nearly everything else.
All this brings us to the issue that looking at any system as
something that is inside one box or in one enclosed space is
not enough to gain assurance about its security. The reality is
that nearly every computer in the world could be, and in most
cases is, connected to every other computer through the
Internet. The worldwide propagation of the (in)famous Nimda,
Code Red and Lovebug viruses and worms are proof of this
connectivity. Such connectivity has the propensity to provide
access or communication paths for anyone to any system in
the absence of any measures to prevent such access.
Fortunately, a plethora of technical solutions, many of which
have become standards, keeps most networks and systems
segregated and protected