Posted by Rick Fowler, TCC Director of Mainframe Services
Security is always a topic of discussion among my colleagues in the IT world. I have heard a variety of claims that mainframe technologies are not compatible with modern security approaches and represent a major risk.
I recently read an article on the SC Media website that refutes this claim. Crossno, J. (2017, May 04). The Truth About Mainframe Security – And Where You Should Be Focusing. Retrieved August 14, 2017, from https://www.scmagazine.com/the-truth-about-mainframe-security–and-where-you-should-be-focusing/article/655118/
The article states “The mainframe remains the most intrinsically secure platform on the planet for several additional reasons. First, all of the hardware and software that’s needed to complete mainframe transactions resides on a single machine, unlike a distributed environment where there is much network traffic that can be intercepted by an attacker. Second, mainframes’ front-end processors often handle the task of interfacing with the rest of the world, freeing up the system to do nothing but what it was expressly designed for – executing transactions. These front-end processors also handle the security aspects, effectively isolating the mainframe from the rest of the world.” This is a pretty compelling argument in favor of the safety of heritage mainframe systems.
The author pointed out that insider threat is significant in most breaches and this threat is massive and growing across all industries. Perhaps organizations should focus their efforts on safeguarding against insider attacks, where a positive difference can be made.
To learn more about TCC Mainframe Managed Services, please visit our website https://www.e-tcc.com/managed-services.
Technology, Process and Expertise 