IBM Delivers Smarter Security for a Smarter Planet

Smarter security for a smarter planet – implemented with service management in mind

Tivoli Beat - A weekly IBM service management perspective. Security has become far more than just a way of securing information, applications, systems and services. Today, it is a key enabler of business growth and business prosperity, as we move toward a smarter planet.

What do we mean by "smarter planet?" Imagine a world in which data is leveraged not just for best business value within specific organizations, but in a larger sense—for the best holistic outcome for organizations, individuals and host environments. Imagine, for example, traffic systems designed to keep traffic flowing and minimize snarls, by evaluating and anticipating changing conditions and orchestrating assets such as public transit vehicles, traffic lights and emergency response teams. Imagine power grids designed to ensure that energy utilization is always paired with demand in real time, driving down costs while keeping critical services up and running continuously.

As we increasingly link information pools, and add intelligence to every layer of systems and business processes, these compelling visions are becoming reality. As they do, we collectively benefit. But to maximize that benefit, companies delivering such smarter services will need improved visibility, control and automation.

They will need the ability to see what’s happening with the infrastructure from a service operations and security operations perspective, and then take effective action to mitigate risks and hit performance targets. And when that action can be automated, to leverage repeatable, defined processes, superior results will follow—for both the organizations and their clients and customers.

These ideas lie at the heart of IBM’s vision of service management. And IBM Security Solutions implemented with this Integrated Service Management approach can deliver the visibility, control and automation required—essentially serving as an operating system for the smarter planet.

The smarter planet comes with new risks and threats

Return to the concept of the smarter power grid and consider how these ideas might apply. It's immediately apparent that a power grid is a crucial asset, empowering crucial services of many kinds in many contexts, which must therefore be secured as completely as possible to ensure that only the right people control it in the right ways. Should malicious hackers, criminals or terrorists obtain control of a power grid, the outcome would certainly be catastrophic.

And so, as power grids become smarter—joining the IP infrastructure and managed via the IP infrastructure in turn—they will also require a new approach to security, to lock them down from any form of unauthorized access.

Here we see the direct relationship between the concepts of the smarter planet, service management and best-in-class security. To make the planet smarter, we must make full use of the vast amounts of data now generated, and we must continue to connect assets and services in new ways. What is the best way to do that?

Integrated Service Management—empowered by superior visibility, control and automation—is the key. It drives down the cost of implementing and maintaining service infrastructure, minimizes human error and provides the data and insights necessary to measure and prove compliance. It is also integrates security more consistently and comprehensively into the software that drives smarter services. Every business and every government, regardless of industry or location, will need integrated service management capabilities to manage risks and deliver the smarter bridges, smarter utility grids, smarter farms and smarter banks of the future.

Organizations that recognize these essential truths, and adopt security as a core element of integrated service management, will not only be rendering better service to clients, customers and business partners; they will also position themselves competitively to lead the pack—and achieve a superior business outcome.

Next-generation security safeguards business processes

Integrated Service Management resonates with IBM clients because it empowers their central mission: to deliver services which fulfill business goals and yield a superior business outcome.

From a security standpoint, that means that IBM helps clients optimally manage a set of physical assets with built-in intelligence—assets capable of storing, processing or collecting huge amounts of information—that are network-connected. These assets are increasingly diverse; they include transportation vehicles, traffic control devices, buildings and, of course, digital assets, like design documents or software that supports composite applications.

IBM provides integrated, best-in-class solutions capable of securing them all. And as assets become smarter and are added to the IP infrastructure, the IBM value proposition will increase in proportion.

As an example of Visibility in a security context, consider IBM Tivoli Security and Information and Event Manager, which tracks user activity (including even privileged network users with special access privileges), compares that activity against security policies, and reflects it on an executive dashboard which is updated in real time to illustrate and quantify the overall security posture. Similarly, IBM Tivoli Security Management for z/OS can improve both the security, and security visibility, of services rendered by the IBM System z mainframe—essentially making the System z an enterprise-class security hub.

Control is exceptionally well demonstrated by IBM Tivoli Identity and Access Assurance—a package of identity management tools to address every stage of the identity lifecycle. Thanks to Tivoli Identity and Access Assurance, IT can easily create security policies to determine the logical access rights different individuals or groups will have to different organizational resources, and modify them over time to suit any business need.

And in the context of Automation, one excellent example would be IBM Security Virtual Server Protection for VMware™ which offers integrated threat protection for every layer of the virtual infrastructure, including host, network, hypervisor, virtual machine (VM) and traffic between virtual machines. With IBM Virtual Server Protection for VMware, the security virtual machine can perform automatic discovery and protection of all VMs. This helps increase security awareness and visibility across the virtual environment.

Together, IBM Security Solutions can secure data, applications and services in any way organizations may require to render better service to internal end users and external customers—and capitalize on new business models that will come with the smarter planet going forward.

IBM is your trusted partner

Consider what IBM brings to the table as a security leader:

Proven skills. IBM’s X-Force® team is available to help clients detect and remediate threats, as well as thousands of researchers, developers, consultants and subject matter experts on security initiatives.
Proven expertise. IBM has consulted on and implemented thousands of security projects or over 30 years. We have over 200 security references and more than 50 published case studies. IBM succeeds only when clients succeed.
A complete portfolio. IBM provides end-to-end solutions and services, from security strategy and governance to security across mainframes, desktops, networks, pervasive computing and more.
Industry-specific insights. IBM has wide industry expertise and tailors security solutions to industry vertical challenges, including securing business processes. And IBM Security Services assessors can provide a list of IBM and non-IBM products to assist clients in creating the best solution for their environments.
A track record that’s second to none. IBM manages security and privacy for our 400,000 employees worldwide, and our services teams manage more than 7 billion security “events” for clients every day.
A rich ecosystem of partners. IBM has a large Business Partner community that complements and implements our solutions.

IBM's thought leadership is also being applied at even higher levels. Just as the smarter planet has become possible through new links (connecting data, systems, assets and processes), smarter security in an ongoing sense will also require new links between organizations—organizations of all kinds, from individual firms to national governments.

Toward fostering a collaborative discussion at the highest level, including government organizations, public sector clients, policymakers and other security stakeholders, IBM is proud to announce the IBM Institute for Advanced Security, which applies IBM research, services, software and technology expertise to help government and other key clients improve the security and resiliency of their IT and business systems. Directed by Dr. Charles Palmer, the Institute will help public and private sector clients, academics and business partners more easily understand, address and mitigate issues with securing cyberspace.

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