Ask Matt Series ~ Security in a Virtualized World
by Matt Riley, CIO of Gladiator Technology
Question: What are some of the security risks that I should be concerned about in a virtualized environment?
Answer: VM, VMotion, “spin” up, Hypervisor, Guest, Host, Hyper-V, Snapshot – these are terms associated with virtualization. The modern datacenter has a new look these days; there are less physical systems and more virtual systems. Companies are realizing the benefits of virtualization, such as enhanced business resiliency, optimal utilization of computer resources, reduced IT infrastructure footprint, and reduced power consumption. Quite often, however, when companies make the decision to transition to virtualization, they often overlook the most important thing, SECURITY! Through 2012, 60 percent of virtualized servers will be less secure than the physical servers they replace, according to Gartner. Virtualization introduces some new security risks that you, as an organization, need to consider. I’m going to discuss some of these risks and some mitigating steps you can take to better secure your virtualized environment. (More…)
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Emerging Technology Series ~ ZScaler: A Cloud Security Service for Web Traffic
by Ryan Spanier, Senior Information Security Engineer
The Problem: The Internet has become a haven for cyber-criminals. A lack of international law and cooperation has enabled a thriving underground economy to grow and prosper online. And the bad guys are there for one reason, namely, to make money. The easiest way to make money on the Internet is to use malware, which can send spam, steal confidential information, take over sensitive systems, and consume precious network resources. Malware infections are a big problem for financial institutions because they represent a real threat to an institution’s reputation and assets. (More…)
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Fake AV and TDSS – A Dangerous Duo
by DJ Goldsworthy, Information Security Manager
These days, surfing the Web can prove dangerous to your PC, as most of us know by having experienced, first-hand, the pain of getting a computer virus. Unfortunately, it is easier than ever before to contract a computer virus as malware writers now have stealth techniques to deliver malware without the user ever knowing it. To make matters worse, hackers are combining different malware to create dangerous hybrid duos that can completely take over any PC. One such combination that Gladiator has observed is Fake Anti-virus (AV) software and the TDSS Trojan. (More…)
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The Compliance Corner ~ Information Security as a Compliance Directive and a Competitive Differentiator
by Jackie Marshall, Director of IT Regulatory Compliance
The need to effectively protect the security and confidentiality of non-public information (NPI) is not a new concept to financial institutions (FIs). In fact, the GLBA information security provisions that require FIs to have a written Information Security Policy have been in place for almost 10 years. So, the question is “Are banks successfully implementing information security strategies?” For a clue, one need look no further than the recent media headlines showcasing two high profile court cases involving online fraud: Plains Capital Bank vs. Hillary Machinery, and Comerica vs. EMI. The details of these cases clearly reveal what many bankers have known since 2002 – that Federal regulators have treated the topic of information security compliance as just another “checklist” item rather than as a priority, and, therefore, information security has generally received minimal attention by FIs. (More…)
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Gladiator ITRC Live Webcast Series 2010
Gladiator is pleased to offer the following ITRC live webcasts for the remainder of 2010:
- They Asked for What?! Understanding Examiners/Auditors Expectations for IT/Information Security Management (August 12th and 17th)
- Meeting IT Regulatory Compliance Challenges of 2010/2011 (November 10th and 16th)
Please contact us at education@gladtech.net if you are interested in registering for a live webcast or visit us online at www.gladiatortechnology.com for more details ort o view a listing of recorded webcast events.
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Corporate Account Takeover: Roles for Mitigating Risk
by Karen Crumbley, Product Manager
Considering the amount of publicity these days regarding the threat of corporate account takeover by fraudsters, it is important for financial institutions (FIs) to think through possible actions that they can take in order to prevent this type of fraud. Although the onus is not easily determined in such a situation, the impact ultimately falls on all concerned parties. As usual, it is best to be proactive in planning a strategy to help protect your FI and business customers from corporate account takeover and the associated risks. (More…)
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Product Spotlight ~ Gladiator Product Upgrades & Improvements
by Ben Murphy, Senior Manager, Information Security
Thus far, 2010 has been an exciting year for Gladiator – we have completed some of the most substantial upgrades and improvements ever to our monitoring systems and services.
Take a look at this list of our completed improvements, as well as those coming soon: (More…)
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Company Announcements
by Cathy O’Hara, Newsletter Editor
Employee Certifications
Congratulations to Gladiator’s Ryan Spanier, Information Security Engineer, Senior, for earning the prestigious SANS GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA) certification in May. Ryan can take pride in this achievement, as he has now joined the ranks of a select group of professionals demonstrating expertise in the information security field.
Other certifications recently earned by Gladiator personnel include:
- Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
- GIAC Systems and Network Auditor (GSNA)
- Fortinet Certified Network Security Associate (FCNSA)
- EMC Proven Professional Associate (EMCPA)
- Cisco ASA Specialist (CASA)
- Cisco IPS Specialist (CIPS)
Welcome Aboard to New Employees
Please join us in welcoming a new Administrative Assistant, Lisa Culver, to the Gladiator team. Lisa recently graduated from the University of North Georgia and she will be assisting us with general office duties and contract administration.
We also extend a hearty welcome to Chris Baker, the newest addition to Gladiator’s Security Operations Team, as an Information Security Engineer focusing upon delivering security monitoring and management services. Chris has extensive experience in Web development and recently graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta where he specialized in database management and software engineering.
Welcome aboard, Lisa and Chris!
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Upcoming FREE ProfitStars® Webinars
Gladiator is pleased to offer FREE webinars through ProfitStars throughout the year. Upcoming live events in 2010 include:
How You Can Benefit from a Virtualization Solution (July 29th at 10:00 am CT)
Enterprise Security Monitoring 2010 Enhancements: Harness the Power (July 29th at 1:30 pm CT)
Proactive Network Monitoring: Save on Time, Money, and Resources (August 10th at 10:30 am CT)
Dealing With Today’s Threats (August 31st at 1:30 pm CT)
Combating Cash Management Fraud: The New Defense That Can Save Your Institution’s Reputation (September 21st at 10 am CT)
How You Can Benefit from a Hosted IPT Solution (September 23rd at 10:30 am CT)
Commercially Reasonable Security: Measuring Up to the New Standard (September 28th at 10:30 am CT)
To request more information regarding FREE ProfitStars webinars or to register for an event, please visit www.ProfitStars.com/webinars/calendar/. Check out the listing of archived webinar events there, as well.
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Letter from the President
In 1974, the year before I graduated from my alma mater, Georgia Southern University, I was sitting in my Economics class and was suddenly startled to hear my professor declare that “Recessions are good.” He went on to explain by saying that when the economy is growing, the focus of business management is generally toward revenue and profit growth. However, during times of economic difficulties, the focus tends to turn toward examining existing business processes on a much more granular level, because businesses are forced to consider the need to prioritize and maximize efficiencies wherever possible. (More…)
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Emerging Technology Series ˜ Gladiator RTA: A Year in Review and What the Future Holds
by Ryan Spanier, Senior Information Security Engineer
Gladiator developed its Raw Traffic Analysis (RTA) Service in 2009 to help combat the growing threat that malware poses to our clients. The fact is the detection and prevention of malware infections has become critical to the security of information systems and financial services. Malware is no longer just a nuisance; now it steals passwords and account information, siphons-off funds from bank accounts, and takes full control of unsuspecting systems for financial gain. Malware has also evolved to the point that solely protecting systems with Anti-virus (AV) and intrusion prevention products is ineffective. This arena is where Gladiator’s RTA Service excels. (More…)
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Six Months Later – A Customer Service Check-up
by DJ Goldsworthy, Information Security Manager
So, let’s examine how some of our key customer service benchmarks measure up as compared to where we were six months ago: (More…)
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