Government Technology - October 2008 - (Page V2)

DATA BREACHES ANALYZED advances have brought the quality of VoIP calls on par with traditional analog services. More importantly, IP transmits all information in digital form, creating opportunities for unified communications — the integration of fixed and mobile devices and applications. As the lines between voice, video and data blur, visionary state leaders are redefining the business of government. Enterprises are moving from legacy networks to next-generation IP networks based on multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). These advanced networks meet new bandwidth demands and enable services such as hosted VoIP, private IP and managed services for years to come. You’ve seen the headlines about data security breaches. Now you can see the facts behind them. Verizon Business recently published the 2008 Data Breach Investigations Report. The report involved four years of research, taking into account more than 500 forensic investigations of data breaches covering more than 230 million records. Experts analyzed hundreds of corporate breaches, including three of the five largest ones ever reported. Numerous findings from the report underscore the importance of taking proper security measures to protect data. Nearly 90 percent of the breaches studied could have been avoided had reasonable security measures been in place. Several factors contributed to the conclusion by researchers that most attacks could have been prevented. For 90 percent of known vulnerabilities exploited by hackers and malicious code, security patches were available many months prior to the attacks. Of the attacks studied, 83 percent were “not highly difficult” for the criminals. Sixty-six percent of the breaches involved data that the victims did not know was on their systems. And 75 percent of breaches were not discovered by the victim; most breaches go undetected for a significant time and are eventually discovered by a third party. Traditional security efforts have centered on controls around the network perimeter. But the researchers concluded that organizations must look deeper than that and pay more attention to the data itself. More than ever, organizations are sharing data with other entities — business partners, contractors, temp workers and more. That’s all the more reason to take security seriously; 39 percent of data breaches originated with business partners. Especially in today’s environment — with more converged networks, more devices being used, more sharing and a more mobile work force — organizations need to reconsider their security fundamentals. The report detailed numerous recommendations for improving data security, and can be viewed in full at www.verizonbusiness.com/Solutions/security/risk/ databreach. The technology has ﬁnally caught up with the vision. Voice over IP (VoIP) calls no longer sound like two people talking through soup cans Steve Young and a string. California technology leaders have embarked on a visionary path through CALNET II to deploy IP services to improve the experience for those who live and work in the Golden State. In Texas, through two new contracts — Information Technology Security Services and Managed Services for Information Technology — state leaders are putting the mechanics in place to make IP convergence through secure managed networks a reality in the Lone Star State. Verizon Business, as an IP leader and network-based provider of integrated communications and computing solutions, is at the forefront of network convergence for businesses, agencies and educational institutions in the United States and around the globe. We stand ready to work with governments to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to realize the full potential of IP to meet the demands of today — and those yet to come. — Steve Young, group president for corporate and government markets, Verizon Business For more information about how Verizon Business can support your e-government or communication needs, please visit www.verizonbusiness.com. This Government Technology custom publication is sponsored by Verizon Business. © 2008 e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT http://www.verizonbusiness.com/Solutions/security/risk/databreach http://www.verizonbusiness.com/Solutions/security/risk/databreach http://www.verizonbusiness.com http://www.verizonbusiness.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - October 2008

Government Technology - October 2008 Contents Point of View On the Scene Big Picture Four Questions for... Letters Cover Stories: Border Crossing The Australian E-Connection Easy Rider Northern Exposure Technology on the Cheap Ditching the Desktop Heightening the Experience Pipe Dream Falling Between the Cracks Come Together, Right Now... It's a ... Car? Digital State of the Art Spectrum Products Two Cents signal:noise

Government Technology - October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.