This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. Send mail to mimeat_private for more info. --------------6F496D1D263A036D08810D00 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=us-ascii Content-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.96.990201113531.10838Dat_private> Forwarded From: darek milewski <darekmat_private> http://www.internetwk.com/news0199/news012999-3.htm Heavyweights Rally Against Net Hackers By RUTRELL YASIN Four network security vendors are joining forces to help fortify the desktops and networks of the future. Cisco, Lucent Technologies, Network Associates Inc. and Sun Microsystems this week formed the Security Research Alliance to share advanced security research and collaborate on development. The alliance aims to provide IT managers with the information they need to make more long-term security decisions. To that end, alliance members will sponsor educational forums for IT managers such as the Security Research Crystal Ball Symposium, to be held in Los Angeles in April. By banding together to advance security research, the companies will be able to solve network security problems more quickly, according to IT managers. "The more eyes that are on a particular problem, the more solutions you get," said Robert Kondilas, director of infrastructure engineering and security at service provider Qwest Communications. Plus, competition among security vendors to be the first to get out the latest vulnerability alert has been counterproductive, he said. "They're fighting against hackers and against themselves," Kondilas said. The alliance holds the promise of a more coordinated, collaborative effort to work on the most pressing risk issues, he added. Alliance chairwoman Terry Benzel, who is vice president of the advanced security division at Network Associates, agreed. Research is one area where competing vendors can forge common ground, especially to address the growing threat of cyberterrorism, Benzel said. "We're way beyond talking about hackers coming into [a network] through a Unix flaw," she said. Smarter technology is needed to combat the growing threat of cyberterrorism, which entails more concerted, sophisticated attacks on networks, she added. Intrusion detection and response appears to be high on the Research Alliance's list of priorities. The group will be doing more in-depth research on how to determine if a network has been broken into and how to respond. Most intrusion detection systems focus on the network or the application levels. But the alliance can do more in-depth research into detecting attacks "across an organization from the lowest IP packet to the highest-level applications," Benzel said. Alliance members also hope research will improve interoperability among security technologies, said Kevin Ziese, Cisco's manager of network security research. The alliance will be open to new members, and GTE Internetworking and Intel are in membership discussions, Benzel said. The upcoming Crystal Ball Symposium will include presentations from top security researchers and an open panel with alliance members. --------------6F496D1D263A036D08810D00-- -o- Subscribe: mail majordomoat_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: Internet Security Institute [www.isi-sec.com]
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Apr 13 2001 - 13:17:48 PDT