The dotCrime Manifesto

Chapter 16. Secure Networks

For the past decade, the world of network security has been dominated by firewalls and the perimeter security model. Perimeter security is a good idea; every major corporate HQ has a staffed reception desk. Sneaky thieves do think twice about walking past a reception desk or a security guard with a stolen computer under their arm. But fences are only as secure as their weakest point. A reception desk is a much less effective deterrent if a thief can enter and leave by the fire escape.

As they have become ubiquitous as the first line of defense, firewalls have become increasingly ineffective as the last line of defense. In an extended enterprise, the idea of defining the perimeter of the corporate network becomes meaningless. ...