Information Security Management Systems -
Protecting Your Company And Your Customers

For most company employees, the only time they think about the corporate network is when it stops. For some companies, temporary delays in email delivery or access to a file server are just an inconvenience or minor irritation. For other companies, network downtime can cause major financial loss.

But a network failure is not the only way a company can suffer financial loss. Almost all companies keep confidential information on servers attached to the network. This data can consist of information about employees, customer details, or corporate intellectual property. Loss, alteration, or distribution of this data can have serious consequences. In most cases, a company also has a legal responsibility to protect this data from unauthorised disclosure.

In the unlikely scenario that a corporate network is completely isolated from the outside world, the network and the data it makes available would only need to be protected from the malicious or unintentional actions of employees. In the real world a network has many external connections which greatly increase its vulnerability to misuse or attack. Typical connections include Internet access for employees, email links, connections to customer networks, and access for teleworkers.