For Security & Risk Professionals

Applying Risk Discipline To Prosper As Security Matures

Insights From The Keynotes At Forrester's Security Forum 2007

by Laura Koetzle, December 7, 2007

Security and risk professionals' years of passionate advocacy are paying dividends at long last — the discipline is finally starting to receive the funding and respect that it deserves. But CISOs know that with respect comes both scrutiny and high expectations. . . .

For Enterprise Architecture Professionals

Introducing Forrester's TechRadar™ Research

How To Make Smarter Technology Planning Decisions

by Laura Koetzle, David Metcalfe, August 1, 2007

Technology planners face a challenge to make the best technology adoption, maintenance, and retirement decisions for their firms. To make these decisions, stakeholders assess business and technology criteria. Forrester's TechRadar research describes and . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Blue Cross: A Case Study In Building Better Disaster Recovery — While Saving Money

by Laura Koetzle, Stephanie Balaouras, February 13, 2007

Starting in 2004, health plan Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) began to completely revamp its disaster recovery program. In just one year, Blue Cross eliminated $1.5 million in network costs by consolidating most of its network spending . . .

Are Your Online Customers For Real?

Online Credit Card Fraud Detection Services

by Laura Koetzle, October 3, 2006

The risk of fraud in online transactions increases because you can see neither your customer nor his credit card. Products using either filters or neural networks can help you detect fraudulent transactions. For small to midsize businesses, filters are . . .

Preparing Your Business For The Impact Of A Bird Flu Pandemic

by Michael Rasmussen, Laura Koetzle, September 7, 2006

It's difficult to tell just how credible and imminent a threat an avian flu pandemic poses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already confirmed 241 human cases of today's avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in 10 countries worldwide. The virus has met . . .

Evolving Approaches To IPT Security

by Paul Stamp, Laura Koetzle, July 18, 2006

Naysayers have long raised the specter of insecure, unreliable voice calls as reasons for avoiding IP telephony (IPT). As usual, the skeptics do have a point: Thanks to immaturities in signaling protocols like SIP, implementing IP telephony brings with . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

Governing Security  (465 KB PPT)

by Laura Koetzle, July 6, 2006

Security tops firms' to-do lists again in 2006, with 63% of North American and European enterprises classifying it as a "priority" or a "critical priority." Security is a risk management discipline, not (just) an arcane technical specialty. Firms should . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

Retail Security Priorities In 2006: It's A Jungle Out There  (555 KB PPT)

by Laura Koetzle, July 6, 2006

Sophisticated gangs of identity thieves victimize consumers in much of the Americas, as well as in the UK and Australia. For example, US citizens reported more than 250,000 cases of identity theft in 2005. All of this has resulted in a bewildering patchwork . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

Security Advocacy  (224 KB PPT)

by Laura Koetzle, July 6, 2006

You can transform security from pure obligation into a marketable asset — really. Security advocacy is more than just security awareness. Communication isn't enough; you have to sell the policy to the user to get him to change his behavior. Today, security . . .

Firms Still Struggle To Predict Capacity Utilization Accurately

by Laura Koetzle, May 17, 2006

Recently, Forrester surveyed 48 IT decision-makers at enterprises about their server capacity utilization experiences. Although 83% of respondents measure utilization for their distributed systems with popular tools from vendors like BMC Software, SAS, . . .

Handling Zero-Day Exploits

Lessons Learned From Microsoft's WMF Vulnerability

by Laura Koetzle, March 23, 2006

Microsoft has a new competitor for providing security patches: the unaffiliated security developer. The recent Windows Metafile (WMF) flaw surfaced publicly along with a working exploit, making it one of the dreaded zero-day vulnerabilities. Within four . . .

How To Measure What Matters In Security

by Laura Koetzle, January 20, 2006

Assess your firm's level of security metrics evolution — you'll fall somewhere between stage one, where you're too busy fighting fires to know what to measure, and the nirvana of stage four, where security, IT, and line-of-business executives use security . . .

Strategies For Secure, Successful Outsourcing

Lessons From Switzerland

by Laura Koetzle, January 13, 2006

For the past two years, Swiss enterprises have taken a more cautious approach to outsourcing than European and North American firms. At a recent event, 25 Swiss security leaders shared their strategies for achieving outsourcing goals without compromising . . .

Highlight: Security's Cost Of Deployment Stings

by Laura Koetzle, September 23, 2005

The majority of enterprises worry most about reliability when acquiring security technologies — thus, only 19% experience shaky deployments. In contrast, just 13% consider cost a top priority when buying, which means that more than one-third suffer from . . .

Handling The Windows Upgrade Treadmill — Without Sacrificing Security

by Laura Koetzle, September 2, 2005

Most days, IT operations groups feel that Microsoft created the Windows upgrade life cycle expressly to torture us and cost us as much money as possible. Although complex, it's comprehensible. The two magic time frames to remember are 10 years (the minimum . . .

Focus On Incident Response Drives MSS Interest

by Laura Koetzle, June 16, 2005

Recently, Forrester surveyed 200 North American technology decision-makers about their firms' plans for security in 2005. Firms' emphasis on fast detection of network security incidents means that 15% already outsource some security functions, and 30% . . .

Authentication Remains Mixed But Strengthening, And eSSO Picks Up

by Laura Koetzle, May 13, 2005

Recently, Forrester surveyed 200 technology decision-makers about their firms' plans for security in 2005. Firms continue to employ a mix of techniques for authenticating employees and customers. While 84% of our 147 respondents still think good password . . .

Converged IT And Physical Security: Small But Real

by Laura Koetzle, April 15, 2005

Integrated IT and physical security systems have always been the future-nirvana for security professionals. Forrester surveyed 200 technology decision-makers about their IT and physical security convergence plans for 2005. The result? Optimism reigns: . . .

Enterprise Security Profile Update Q1 2005

by Laura Koetzle, April 6, 2005

In January 2005, Forrester surveyed 200 technology decision-makers about their security staffing, responsibilities and approaches for 2005. Security staffers are no longer lonely — 30% of respondents have at least 30 employees whom they dedicate to security. . . .

What Security Buyers Want From Technology

by Laura Koetzle, November 19, 2004

Forrester's Business Technographics® June 2004 North American And European Benchmark Study separated firms that will invest in new security technology from those that won't. Security buyers want reliability and superior features and functionality . . .

Checklist For Managed Security Services Success

How To Get Ready For Managed Security Services

by Laura Koetzle, November 15, 2004

Done right, outsourcing to an MSSP means better security for less. To reap these benefits, firms need firmly ensconced security chiefs, well-tested security policies, organizational stability, buy-in from executive through physical security, previous . . .

Security Buyers: Shopaholic Skeptics

by Laura Koetzle, November 8, 2004

Forrester used its recent survey of 1,377 technology decision-makers at North American and European enterprises to tease out the differences between firms that buy new IT security technology and those that don't. Security buyers are investing much more . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Cisco Snaps Up Perfigo, Seizes Network Quarantine Lead

by Laura Koetzle, Robert Whiteley, October 27, 2004

Last week, Cisco announced its purchase of network quarantine startup Perfigo for $74 million. With Perfigo, Cisco gets two things: 1) a standalone, port-based quarantine appliance for the midmarket, and 2) the server-based quarantine solution it previously . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Relax: Cisco And Microsoft Won't Clash On Network Quarantine

by Laura Koetzle, Robert Whiteley, October 19, 2004

Score one for customers — Cisco's and Microsoft's different approaches to network quarantine will interoperate. Cisco gets the biggest benefit today: The joint announcement weakens Cisco's competitors' argument that it doesn't play well with others and . . .

Symantec Snaps Up @stake And LIRIC

Choosing A Security Consulting Partner Just Got Harder

by Laura Koetzle, September 21, 2004

With the purchases of professional services firms @Stake and LIRIC Associates, Symantec creates a new interface to its entire portfolio. To avert a mutiny in its channel, Symantec must expand tactical services like penetration testing in tandem with vertical . . .