IBM Tivoli and Cisco, User Manual

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Chapter 1.
Business context
Information Technology (IT) security is a vital component of business success
and is very important in e-business security and security for on demand services.
As the Internet increasingly becomes an effective means to conduct business,
the challenge of protecting IT infrastructures from intruders and malicious attacks
increases as well. When an IT resource (server, workstation, printer, and so on)
is connected to a network, it becomes a target for a persistent hacker. Corporate
networks are constantly under attack by intruders seeking access for their
personal gain. In a world where everyone relies on the Internet, it is not difficult
for an intruder to find the tools on the Web to assist in breaking into an enterprise
network. To overcome this immense threat faced by many organizations, a
corporation must identify every user accessing its network and allow access only
to authorized users who are identified and meet
corporate compliance
criteria.
Every time an intruder successfully breaks into a corporate network or infects
computers with a virus or malicious code, it can cause damage that may result in
substantial financial loss
(loss of revenue) to the businesses involved.
Enterprises must defend their IT infrastructure continuously and keep
themselves protected from intruders. One infected server or workstation can
potentially bring the whole corporate network to its knees if it does not comply
with corporate security policies.
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