The PowerTech Group, Inc. today released its fifth annual review of the state of security on IBM's System i platform. This year's study is based on the results of over 200 system audits that were conducted by PowerTech during the past 12 months. The complete results and analysis are published in a whitepaper that can be downloaded from the PowerTech Web site at www.powertech.com/study2008.asp.
According to industry research, the System i is used by more than 90 percent of the Fortune 1000 alone, and is known to host sensitive and confidential data such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and other private data. Although IBM has architected the System i with industry-leading security capabilities, the PowerTech research shows that the System i security is often poorly configured and poorly managed by companies that use it.
Jon Scott, PowerTech president and CEO noted, "Organizations should make it a top priority to secure the mission critical data that is on the System i. Yet, year after year, we see System i shops that leave data exposed. For example, the study found that over one third of the systems surveyed in the study are not following the IBM best practice for the overall system security setting."
A preview of the study data was first presented at iNSIGHT 2008, the System i Security and Compliance conference, which recently concluded in Las Vegas. At the conference John Earl, PowerTech vice president and CTO remarked, "Once again, this study demonstrates that System i shops are very vulnerable to loss and disclosure of their critical data. That's the bad news. The good news is that many of these exposures are easily corrected. We publish this study to draw attention to these problems so that they can be addressed."
As good as the operating system is at protecting data, any system will only be as strong as the policies and practices deployed to keep it safe. Listed below are a few examples of the study findings that trouble auditors and executives alike:
- 68 percent of systems allow any user to change data on the System i using PC applications like MS Excel and MS Access. These systems also did not audit this vulnerability, which effectively hides it from oversight.
- Out of an average of 751 users, 9 percent of all users have privileged (root level) access authority.
- 30 percent of systems are not using the system security auditing tool inherent in the system.
- Over half of the systems have more than 16 users with default passwords (Password = User name) that could be easily determined by any attacker.
About the PowerTech Group, Inc.
PowerTech is your security expert in managing evolving compliance and data privacy threats with automated security solutions for IBM Midrange Servers. Because System i and AS/400 servers are used to host particularly sensitive corporate data, it is imperative that organizations practice proactive compliance security. As an IBM Advanced Business Partner with over 1000 customers worldwide, PowerTech understands corporate vulnerability and the risks associated with data privacy and access control. PowerTech hosts iNSIGHT, the annual System i Security and Compliance conference.
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online