A Closer Look at Security

By Louise Fickel

One way to anticipate security threats is to take advantage of the work being done by those who specialize in tracking the latest developments. The CERT program, for example, offers a slew of reports and information such as "Governing for Enterprise Security: Networked Systems Survivability Program" (http://www.cert.org/archive/pdf/05tn023.pdf), a podcast series on Security for Business Leaders (http://www.cert.org/podcast/), and the threat posed by an organization's own people (http://www.cert.org/insider_threat/). If you're interested in learning more about botnets, a recent article in the New York Times provides insight from several security experts about how some intruders are now creating armies of "zombie" computers across the Internet-unbeknownst to their owners-to commit crimes. (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F4081FFF3E540C748CDDA80894DF404482). The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, meanwhile, keeps visitors up-to-date on security issues from the consumer's perspective (http://www.privacyrights.org/).