Reshaping information security

1. Convergence onto Security Platforms: We will see the movement of related security controls into security platforms capable of being adapted to new types of threats. We see convergence taking place in multiple areas in information security--at the endpoint, at the email security gateway, at the web security gateway, at the next-generation firewall and, for small to midsized organisations, the multifunction firewall.

2. Virtualisation: Beyond just deploying virtualisation securely, the virtualisation of security controls (like firewalls and intrusion prevention systems) will alter the information security landscape. Beyond this, virtualisation offers a new platform to enforce security controls in new ways such as introspection techniques for rootkit detection.

3. Cloudification: The enforcement of our enterprise security policy via security controls and infrastructure that we dont own. This isnt necessarily new, but the other trends listed and enterprise adoption of cloud-based applications are forcing this. Examples include the use of cloud-based web application firewalling or cloud-based filtering of web and email traffic.

4. Externalisation: The tearing down of walls between businesses and the opening up of our information, processes and systems to outside parties--whether these are contractors, outsourcers, partners and customers. Nearly every enterprise is being asked to enable and foster secure collaboration with external entities.

5. Consumerisation: The use of consumer-oriented technology (systems and software) for business uses. Examples include the connection of iPhone to enterprise systems, remote access via personal machines and employee demands for access to Facebook, LinkedIn and other consumer-oriented sites in a business context. Combined with #4, this implies a large number of systems that we dont own and dont manage connecting to our systems and networks.

6. Operationalisation: As threats become well understood and the technologies we use to protect our infrastructure become more mature, these can be turned over to IT operations. Examples include endpoint antivirus being managed by desktop operations, antispam and email security gateways being managed by the email ops team, firewalls being managed by network ops and so on. This is the only way well free up enough of our limited information security resources to tackle the new and emerging threats that relentlessly continue.

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