Long-term experiences in keeping balance between safety and usability in research activities in KEK

Abstract

This work aims to provide KEK general-purpose network to support various research activities in the fields of high-energy physics, material physics, and accelerator physics. Since the end of the 20th century, on a daily basis, networks experience cyber-attacks and the methods of attack have rapidly evolved to become more sophisticated over the years. Security measures have been developed to mitigate the effects of cyber-attacks. While security measures may improve safety, restrictions might reduce usability. Therefore, we must keep a balance between safety and usability of the network for a smooth running of research activities. Herein, we present our long-term experience with keeping a balance between safety and usability in KEK research activities. The key points are reasonably ensuring traceability and security management. We have been using security devices, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and vulnerability management systems, to achieve a balance between safety and usability. Also, we present activities of the computer security incident response team (CSIRT) and collaborative activities among research organizations.