30 minute interview

“Security is not about buying an off-the-shelf product”

Devising and implementing a proactive security model is the best method to protect data

Keri Lewis General Manager, Security Solutions Datacraft Asia

*Everybody’s talking about ‘proactive security’. That said, most Indian organisations do not go beyond a firewall. What is your take on this issue?

Indian organisations are still caught in a product mindset. Most Indian organisations believe that security needs can be taken care of by a firewall. Another big misconception is that installing an anti-virus package automatically prevents all virus attacks. Corporates do not realise that all anti-virus packages need to be updated frequently. An anti-virus package without the latest patches is as good as having no anti-virus package at all. The need of the hour is to be proactive in not only installing security patches but also fine tuning security policies from time to time. A proactive model will only work if an organisation’s security policies and every product in it is constantly updated and fine tuned. One way to address this issue is by outsourcing your security needs to a managed security services provider.

*Are Indian organisations comfortable with outsourcing their security needs?

While organisations consider it a sensitive matter (to outsource their security needs to a third party), they can look at outsourcing routine security engagements such as checking firewall configurations or managing and generating security reports. Many Indian organisations are comfortable with this concept as the skilled manpower that is needed for managing and maintaining high levels of security is scarce. Organisations need to identify aspects of security that impact their businesses and outsource non-sensitive security engagements.

*Datacraft has been talking a lot about IP-based security monitoring solutions. How do these score over traditional systems?

We have unveiled a solution for Digital Video Security Surveillance (DVSS)—an IP-based security monitoring solution. It lets an organisation centrally monitor and manage consolidated video feeds from multiple closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in various locations on a corporate Wide Area Network (WAN). Traditional analogue systems are not scalable and are costly to maintain. This is because these systems are managed independently as individual islands of operations. In recent years, the advent of advanced digital video systems has made it possible to deploy IP-based technology for centralised video surveillance that can be supported by intelligent software. DVSS improves the success [ratio] of an organisation’s security initiatives by providing mission-critical information in a cost-effective manner. It has the ability to collect video images from any location, even those that are difficult to wire, such as borders and waterways. Additionally, the network can be centrally controlled and managed from a standard office workstation. Access is easy as the solution incorporates a central SAN repository for all digital video records and provides immediate access to any archived footage that is stored within the organisation’s network. DVSS also provides advanced analytics. These solutions automatically identify significant movements and unusual behaviour. The software provides trigger alerts on security breaches such as motion-related alerts such as cars stopping in “no-stopping zones” or moving the wrong way down a one-way street. It can even detect abandoned objects or unattended luggage in monitored areas and it can interface with other security and business systems such as access control systems, alarm systems and point-of-sale systems.

Ultimately, security is not about buying an off-the-shelf product and putting it into your IT ecosystem. It is about understanding and aligning business needs with a proper security policy in place.

*Where is the Indian security market headed?

The best practices adopted by global firms are also being adopted by Indian organisations. Most Tier 1 BPO companies have to comply with regulations like BS 7799, ISO 17799, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, HIPAA for healthcare and the UK’s Data Protection Act. The BPO sector is going to be a huge growth driver for security as most of these firms need to comply with client requirements.

Venkatesh Ganesh