Change detection technology has changed – for the better

Abstract

Few experts would argue against the importance of real-time file integrity monitoring (FIM) in an era of fast-changing and sophisticated security threats. It is literally impossible to second guess the method of a breach and therefore the ‘last line of defence’ detection offered by FIM has never been more critical. The worldwide coverage of the recent breach at US retail giant Target shows how vital cyber-security is, and how high the stakes are if your defences are breached. Little wonder that leaders in security best practices – such as NIST, the PCI Security Standards Council and the SANS organisation – all advocate FIM as an essential security defence. File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is a fundamental factor in the overall fabric of security. That said, having a poorly configured and misused FIM solution is more dangerous than not having one at all. The sad reality is that many organisations are simply flushing away their multi-million dollar investments – and at the same time putting data security and system compromise at risk. Mark Kedgley of New Net Technologies looks at how modern FIM systems can benefit the organisation if they are used correctly.