Two new factors make it possible, and imperative, to bring this level of control and power to the entire business world. The first factor is the increased standardization and interoperability of computer networks, and the tools and infrastructure to manage them. The Internet embodies this technology, and allows us to integrate all corporate information resources into a single enterprise network. The second factor is the conviction that the future business world will be shaped and molded by those who make the transition first, and discover new ways to conduct business in the networked world. Restoring the Security of Corporate Private Networks We have explored the security challenges faced by today's corporations, and they are formidable.
Most private networks are now wide open to theft, fraud and sabotage.
A corporation's most valuable customer, product, trade secret and financial information can be easily stolen by thieves, competitors and industrial spies. Some of the most badly damaged organizations remain unaware of their losses, because proprietary information and trade secret theft is invisible. They attribute lost sales or unusually short competitor product development cycles to poor luck, rather than poor computer security. The Internet explosion opened a serious security gap that must be closed quickly. The first order of business is to assess the organization's current vulnerabilities and solve the most dangerous problems first.