Fundamental re-thinking network security

Grok Headline matches for Fundamental re-thinking network security

Shark Tank: At least SOMEBODY is
thinking about security

Shark Tank: At least SOMEBODY is
thinking about security 12/04/2003 12:07 AM
It's the monthly joint meeting of this company's desktop and server support departments, and everything is fine, says a pilot fish on the server side. That is, until the desktop guys announce a new project.

Domestic Security: Some Complex Thinking

Domestic Security: Some Complex Thinking 03/29/2005 11:30 PM

The Idea: Maybe the reason we can't agree on how to deal with terrorism is that we're all using illogical, inappropriate and overly simplistic thinking. If we used 'complex thinking' would we stop arguing and start getting somewhere? It is likely that the Department of Homeland Security (which is now the largest state-run organization on the planet) will go down in history as the poorest investment in human history -- an operation that has churned through trillions of dollars (possibly enough to eradicate world poverty and a dozen of the biggest killer diseases on the planet at the same time), and accomplished absolutely nothing. The insidious nature of such 'security' programs is that no one can ever say for sure they haven't or might not yet prevent a catastrophe -- US government intelligence is now a black hole that sucks up money and from which nothing ever escapes. A recent article by John Tirman argues that progressives have missed a great opportunity to stake out an alternative strategy for security that would be modestly less expensive than the conservative strategy that has been used since Bush took office, more effective, and provide a host of other social and environmental benefits in the process. The gist of his argument is shown in the first three columns below. I've added as a fourth column the preventative strategy that I have argued for on these pages, which has also been advocated in a number of European newspapers. SECURITY AGENDA Conservative Progressive - Domestic Focus Progressive - International Focus Domestic Security Strategy Offensive: Preemptively attack foreign nations that might threaten domestic security Defensive: Improve domestic infrastructure to enhance preparedness Preventative: Improve global infrastructure to reduce animosity Spending Priority Defense, 'intelligence'-gathering, prisons and interrogation Domestic health, education Humanitarian and infrastructure aid globally and domestically Investment in Direct Security Massive and unprecedented Significant Negligible Response Strategy Bolster police and emergency services, suspend civil liberties as expendable Bolster police and emergency services but balance against need to protect civil liberties No response: The world is too big to protect against all such threats, and civil liberties are sacrosanct (that's what we're defending) Treatment of Domestic and Border-Crossing Minorities Persecute, prosecute and deport without due process Heightened bureaucracy but with due process Treated like everyone else Principal Political Means of Galvanizing Support Emotional: Fear-mongering Rational: Reasonable measures commensurate with the threat Emotional: Show how these people live abroad and you'll understand their desperation Approach to Protecting Energy Supply Increase security at power plants & refineries, seize foreign oil supplies, eliminate environmental restrictions on exploration Shift to renewable energy sources and hence decentralize sources of supply Shift to renewable energy sources and hence decentralize sources of supply Approach to Protecting Public Health Increased security at major health facilities, disaster and evacuation plans, bioterror 'research' Upgrade, network and decentralize public health infrastructure Upgrade, network and decentralize public health infrastructure Approach to Protecting Transportation Increased security in transportation hubs, ban identification of vehicles carrying hazmat Improve mass transit and restrict transportation of hazmat Reduce transportation needs by encouraging 'buy local' and restrict transportation of hazmat Effect: Preparedness for Another Domestic Attack By their own reports, not at all prepared Would be modestly better prepared Not even attempting to prepare My recent study of complex systems (and the politics of international terrorism are nothing if not complex) and the approaches to dealing with them have given me pause. All of the agendas above are designed for complicated systems, not complex ones. They all presume to have a monopoly on understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships behind acts of terror. The very terms 'deterrence', 'preemption' and 'prevention' are rooted in complicated systems theory, and are meaningless and perhaps even dangerous when applied to complex systems. They are all about trying to understand and exercise control over a system that is simply unknowable and uncontrollable. Perhaps this is why neocons and all previous imperialists have striven to impose homogeneity over global culture, with the unattainable objective of making us all so much alike that civilization becomes a predictable, merely complicated system. Diversity is a dirty word to conservatives. Progressives support diversity as a matter of principle, but have been notoriously poor at understanding its implications -- resulting in bizarre behaviours like 'political correctness', which no one seems to like. Here's a quote from Dave Snowden talking over on AOK about another social issue where conservatives and progressives disagree completely and have tried to impose policies based on different cause-and-effect oversimplifications. The issue is capital punishment: Order in complex systems emerges from the interaction of multiple identities over time, within boundaries around attractors. If we want to see change then it will arise from multiple bottom-up initiatives which change the context and make certain types of negative pattern unsustainable. To take a political example, capital punishment has become largely an unsustainable approach for European governments over the last fifty years, but the same phenomenon has not yet impacted on the bulk of the US (or several regimes who the US regard as uncivilized). In Europe this is a pattern that has emerged from multiple interactions: cases of the wrong people being convicted, a gradual change to liberalization in multiple fields of human thinking which create a framework within which leaders and politicians are able to operate. For some reason this has not happened in the US despite similar evidence plus the general data on racial/social bias on who actually gets killed (lets not use the word execute: it hides the reality). With the notable exception of the film Dead Man Walking most interactions in US society create a different type of entrainment which is the opposite of the European position. From a personal perspective I feel a physical sense of horror at the whole idea that you can take a human being and kill them in some public ritual, but that is partly because of the society in which I grew up, the political influences of a family deeply committed to politics and an historical age which allowed that thinking to take place. Now this is not an argument that Europe is more enlightened that the US because it isn’t (although it is more liberal), it's an argument that many different things are connected and social systems arise from multiple interactions which cannot be directed top down, and it would not make a scrap of difference if you changed the mind set of senior leaders because their patterns personal and collective will respond to the emergent patterns of the societies in which they operate. The Grameen bank case that I quote in the article is a great example of complex thinking – its bottom up, no one changed leaders to some model of thinking, someone just went out and did something simple which created change – the more people do that the more chance the world has. Apply this thinking to the Schiavo case and it will make your head spin. The article cited above explains the Grameen bank case as follows: The Grameen Bank was created in Bangladesh to provide small loans to poor people. The name Grameen comes from the Bangla word for village. This is a market which the conventional banking system finds unattractive. Most commercial and private loans are based on credit scoring, an ordered concept in which the characteristics of good and bad debtors are identified and used as predictors and therefore controls for future lending. This increases the cost of lending as the various processes have to be administered, and small loans this become uneconomic. In the Grameen Bank everyone who took out a loan was required to be a part of a self regulating borrowers’ group in which each member of the group had to take responsibility for the debts of the others. This simple rule which costs little to administer produced a 97% repayment rate comparable with best achievements of the large banks; there are now over two million clients of the Grameen bank and the approach has proved both scalable and portable. I find the Grameen Bank an inspiring case, and an illustration of the great benefits that complex or unordered thinking can bring. Managing the starting conditions not an idealized end state can produce lower cost more effective solutions. Complex thinking is not a nice to have in modern management, it is a fundamental necessity. It is a new and exciting way of thinking about the world Some of the techniques for 'complex thinking' he suggests: Manage by monitoring for the emergence of pattern to sustain or disrupt, rather than managing by objective, to plan or to a model; Focus on effectiveness (with requisite diversity and allowance for inefficiency for adaptability) rather than efficiency; Explore don't exploit; Strive for resilience and adaptability not stability; Measure the stability of 'barriers' and 'identities', and the attractiveness of 'attractors', rather than using reductionist measures like ROI; Simulate emergence to see the patterns of possibility, rather than analyzing and relying on 'experts'; Understand that our different 'identities' make decisions based on personal experience and stories representing collective knowledge (we usually think of individuals making decisions based on enlightened self-interest). So how might we apply 'complex thinking' to domestic security? Rather than trying to solve causality, or rank and address all of the potential security risks, how could we discover and 'disrupt the patterns' of acts of terror? Does this imply that until/unless we can discover the patterns, it's a waste of time and money doing anything? Decentralizing targets and diversifying sources of supply would seem to be a good way to build resilience into critical systems. What else could we do? If we acknowledge that the barriers we have erected at borders are unstable (and next to useless for combating terrorism, while particularly effective at disrupting commerce and tourism), are there other barriers we could use instead? Are there 'attractors' we could put in place that would draw those with an axe to grind against the West elsewhere (Iraq seems to be an unexpectedly good attractor these days)? What kinds of simulation could we run that might help us see what the impact on terrorist activity might be of various interventions -- would building good schools in the Mideast help or hurt for example? And what kind of stories can we surface and tell that would inform the decisions of those inclined to loathe us and act on that loathing?

smart thinking about IM security issues

smart thinking about IM security issues 03/06/2004 01:57 AM
i get more IM spam in a day than i've gotten comment spam in my entire life

Network Protocols Handbook For Cisco
CCNA, CCIE, CCNP, and MCSE, Network+ and
Security+

Network Protocols Handbook For Cisco
CCNA, CCIE, CCNP, and MCSE, Network+ and
Security+ 02/01/2005 10:07 PM
The newly released "Network Protocols Handbook" by Javvin is now distributed by Ingram Books. This book is an excellent reference for Internet programmers, network pros and for people who are taking networking technology courses or trying to pass networking related certifications such as Cisco certification CCNA, CCIE, CCNP, Microsoft Certification MCSE, CompTIA certification Network+ and Security+. [PRWEB Jan 26, 2005]

Vernier Networks Locks Down Security at
the Network Edge with New EdgeWall
Security Appliance

Vernier Networks Locks Down Security at
the Network Edge with New EdgeWall
Security Appliance 02/01/2005 09:10 PM
Clientless Network Access Management solution stops internal threats at the network edge - not the defenseless desktop [PRWEB Feb 1, 2005]

Network Security White Papers Written by
Security Professionals, not Vendors

Network Security White Papers Written by
Security Professionals, not Vendors 03/22/2005 04:55 PM
Its getting hard not to notice the number of large websites advertising white papers. The catch is, most only contain a listing of vendor sponsored marketing brochures. This isn't very helpful if you're looking for detailed information about a technology. [PRWEB Mar 21, 2005]

Breakfast is Fundamental

Breakfast is Fundamental 06/02/2004 08:52 AM
super delicious breakfast .. "Cheat Commando" toon

homestarrunner.com/cheatcereal.html
track this site | 4 links

Who is using the fundamental facets of
W3C XML Schema?

Who is using the fundamental facets of
W3C XML Schema? 10/28/2003 11:06 PM
Michael Sperberg-McQueen posted on XML-DEV a question which seems as surprising as it is surrealistic: does anyone use fundamental facets of W3C XML Schema?

The fundamental arrogance of some on the
left

The fundamental arrogance of some on the
left 01/22/2004 07:28 PM
Maureen Dowd: "Riding the Crazy Train." .. her comparison

nytimes.com/2004/01/22/opinion/22DOWD.html
track this site | 5 links

Better Than Reality: A Fundamental
Software Principle.

Better Than Reality: A Fundamental
Software Principle. 06/30/2004 09:07 PM
Jakob Nielsen: Better Than Reality: A Fundamental Software Principle.

The fundamental business challenge of
our times

The fundamental business challenge of
our times 02/18/2004 09:22 AM
Eli Noam of Columbia Business School has an important Financial Times column pointing out the fundamental business challenge facing the tech sector: commoditization.


Eli is by nature a cynic, so what he has to say is often not pleasant.  But he has the unfortunate habit of being right much of the time, and ahead of the curve virtually all the time.  I've disagreed with some of his conclusions, but I'm with him on the core insight: there is a basic structural disconnect in the economics of information industries, with painful consequences.  We saw it first in telecom, where VOIP is now bringing the issue to a boil, but it's broader than that.

Jeff Jarvis and Ross Mayfield would like to think we can make it up on volume.  I'm as excited as they are about new bottom-up markets and content forms like blogs.  The problem is simply that you can't get there from here.  A hundred Nick Dentons wouldn't pay for one floor of the Conde Nast headquarters building where Jeff works.  (Jeff knows that, and is working both sides of the equation, but Gawker will never be Entertainment Weekly.)  Tere's no scenario that doesn't take a substantial amount of money from the traditional media sector -- and telecom, and IT -- and replace with with a smaller amount of money in distributed alternatives.

One answer, which Noam thinks may be inevitable, is consolidation to the point of monopolization.  Ma Bell held back the tide of commoditization in an industry characterized by high fixed and low variable costs, and Microsoft is doing the same thing in the PC business.  That outcome isn't all bad... but it's far from good.  And, I believe, far from assured.

Is there another answer?  I think there is.  I proposed it four years ago in the Harvard Business Review (and a year earlier in Release 1.0): syndication.  At the time, the idea may have sounded like new economy hype.  In reality, syndication is a roadmap for pulling out of the commoditization death spiral.  It won't be simple and it won't be painless, but syndication will provide a foundation for new growth in the information sector.  Just look at the performance of the two Web-based companies most heavily built on the syndication model: Google and Amazon. Another useful test case for syndication will be the development of the RSS/RDF/Atom ecosystem around Weblogs.

Fundamental Internet Flaw Revealed

Fundamental Internet Flaw Revealed 04/20/2004 03:34 PM
Well, there's a flurry of news article being rushed online today as news comes out about a "fundamental flaw" with TCP that could allow hackers to basically screw up routers all over the world, severely impacting internet traffic. The flaw was discovered a few months back, and people have apparently been working on a fix, but the article isn't entirely clear on whether or not important routers have really been patched, or if it's still being worked on. Either way, the guy who discovered the flaw is set to make a presentation about it on Thursday, after which he believes just about any smart hacker should be able to exploit it and do their best to take down the internet. The news is still pretty vague otherwise about this threat, and I'm always a little skeptical about "this will bring down the internet!" style claims, so if anyone has more info about how serious (or not) this is, feel free to share.

The fundamental force of the cosmos:
Coincidence

The fundamental force of the cosmos:
Coincidence 03/26/2005 04:53 PM
Over at Tom Peters' site I posted a bit about Netflix's policy on who gets which DVD's first, citing an anonymous research paper on the topic. Who do I hear from afterwards but my old friend Mike Muegel. Turns out, he's the anonymous writer. He says: It was a fun little project, as it was so obvious what was going on, especially after I set up the 2nd account. And I enjoy writing custom Web robots and charting. Oh how I love my graphs... By the way, Mike notes that he's looking for his next job. If you want to...

Five Fundamental Problems with Open
Source?

Five Fundamental Problems with Open
Source? 04/13/2004 04:51 PM

Embracing risk fundamental to
leadership, survival, prosperity

Embracing risk fundamental to
leadership, survival, prosperity 06/18/2004 10:08 PM
Sunday Times South Africa Jun 19 2004 2:21AM GMT

Do-it-yourself network security

Do-it-yourself network security 05/17/2004 12:02 PM
ZDNet May 17 2004 3:43PM GMT

The network is the security

The network is the security 07/13/2004 10:15 AM
Analyst Jon Oltsik handicaps the expected winners and losers after an inevitable consolidation in the network security industry.

Survey Finds Wholesale Telecoms On Brink
Of Fundamental Change

Survey Finds Wholesale Telecoms On Brink
Of Fundamental Change 07/01/2004 01:40 PM
Wi-Fi Technology Forum Jul 1 2004 4:53PM GMT

Network Security Hacks

Network Security Hacks 07/08/2004 07:10 PM

Network Security to Take Top Spot

Network Security to Take Top Spot 06/05/2005 11:28 PM

The Role of IDS and ADS in Network
Security

The Role of IDS and ADS in Network
Security 01/28/2004 07:25 AM

Tighter network security for NUS

Tighter network security for NUS 12/20/2003 09:44 PM
Channel NewsAsia Dec 20 2003 7:43PM ET

Network Security Basics

Network Security Basics 05/11/2004 06:22 AM

7 Myths About Network Security

7 Myths About Network Security 04/04/2005 09:42 PM

Network Security Toolkit (NST)

Network Security Toolkit (NST) 04/26/2004 01:19 PM
Getting Started with NST Added To User's Guide

When you don't want to outsource network
security

When you don't want to outsource network
security 04/29/2004 09:05 AM

Network Security Assessment

Network Security Assessment 09/09/2004 06:18 PM

Designing Network Security

Designing Network Security 01/08/2004 07:43 PM
cthulu13 writes "Network security can often be a difficult task because there are so many things to consider. This book can help you get a handle on it all by ...

Best practices for network security

Best practices for network security 03/30/2005 08:33 PM

Intel, Hewlett-Packard Work on Giving
Internet a Fundamental Overhaul

Intel, Hewlett-Packard Work on Giving
Internet a Fundamental Overhaul 09/10/2004 07:12 AM
Technewsworld.com - Fri Sep 10, 09:56 am GMT

Alnylam and Benitec Form Alliance on
Fundamental Intellectual Property for
RNAi Therapeutics

Alnylam and Benitec Form Alliance on
Fundamental Intellectual Property for
RNAi Therapeutics 04/12/2005 08:21 PM
Business Wire UK Apr 12 2005 11:11PM GMT

Web worm tests network security

Web worm tests network security 05/10/2004 04:44 AM
More serious security problems could follow in the wake of the Sasser worm, say experts.

Stop skirting network security

Stop skirting network security 05/17/2004 06:01 AM
Abe Kleinfeld, CEO of nCircle Network Security, says corporations need to be responsible for their own protection.

Managing network security risk

Managing network security risk 09/17/2004 08:08 PM
Personal Computer World Sep 18 2004 0:42AM GMT

Using a Network Analyser as a Security
Tool

Using a Network Analyser as a Security
Tool 06/05/2005 11:29 PM

Wireless Network Security for the Home

Wireless Network Security for the Home 02/12/2004 09:58 AM

IBM, Cisco team on network security

IBM, Cisco team on network security 02/13/2004 04:04 PM
Tech giants IBM Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are collaborating to address network security threats such as hackers, worms, and viruses, the companies said on Friday.

Network Security Policy Compiler 2.0

Network Security Policy Compiler 2.0 02/18/2004 08:10 PM
A replacement for the Cisco Secure Policy Manager.

Sunbelt Network Security Inspector

Sunbelt Network Security Inspector 07/28/2004 08:18 PM

Grok Description matches for Fundamental re-thinking network security
GrokA matches for Fundamental re-thinking network security

Fundamental re-thinking network security

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