Compliance by Design: IT Controls that Work

CHAPTER 14: LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Cloud of dust

Shortly before 2 pm on June 21^st, 2009, neighbors watched in horror as a four story building in Brooklyn, New York plundered into the ground. Only seven weeks earlier, the Buildings Department issued the owner a violation for a visible crack running up the east exterior wall¹⁵. A myriad of factors – work performed on the wall, the filing of the lot near door and rainy weather – increased the lateral load and eventually sent the building toppling into a huge cloud of dust¹⁶.

We seldom view a breakdown of IT controls with such dramatic flair. Yet, data breaches reported often capitalize on underlying cracks in the foundation. A case in point is the compromise of D.A. Davidson’s database in December ...