Inside the Security Mind: Making the Tough Decisions

Creating Chokepoints

Chokepoints have been the key to security practices since the dawn of warfare. A chokepoint is a tight area wherein all inbound and outbound access is forced to traverse. Kings of old have understood that funneling enemies through a tight doorway makes it much easier to rain down fiery oils on them. Likewise, it is much easier to keep a thief out of a network when the network has only one gate leading in and out. In information security, chokepoints offer many advantages, including:

• Security focus— A chokepoint focuses our attention and resources on one area of control. This greatly enhances security while reducing the ultimate taxation on our resources.

• Ease of monitoring— Chokepoints greatly enhance our ability to monitor ...