Microsoft takes aim at security 'myths'
Microsoft pushed security to the front of its Tech.Ed agenda on the Gold Coast this month, aiming to debunk what it claimed were common myths about IT security.
The software giant held a session titled 'Debunking Security Myths' for developers and other IT workers at its Tech.Ed conference. Jesper Johanssen, enterprise security architect at Microsoft, told delegates and news media at the conference that business users often failed to realise that security was always a trade-off.
"We ask,'is our network secure?'," he said. "The truth is that the correct answer is 'no'. Your network is not secure. The truth really is that your network is at best, 'protected'." A truly secure network, Johanssen pointed out, would allow no traffic through. The best way to secure one's network was to unplug all the boxes and fill all the ports with epoxy glue.
Filling the ports with epoxy would, of course, make the equipment useless. Security was always a trade-off between useability and price. A network that was cheap would make concessions to usability to maximise security, for example, Johanssen said.
