Five Questions with Aaron Durkee

Aaron Durkee
Chief Information Officer, SOURCE Inc.

As a 17-year information technology veteran, Aaron Durkee is an industry expert with extensive knowledge of software development, MIS and IT security.  He has experience in a number of vertical markets such as telecommunications, retail, manufacturing, e-commerce, tax and multi-family housing.

What’s the most common mistake made by enterprises regarding their network security?
Many enterprises assume there is no problem.  Instead, IT directors should assume that they already have a problem.  Don't assume the probability of an incident is low and then ignore it.  It's important to understand that most security breaches go undetected.  A hacker who can freely access your network, or monitor your network traffic, is likely to do so undetected… reading confidential information and gaining competitive advantages without your knowledge.

Where should businesses focus their security spending dollars?
Invest in security technologies and in your IT team. Emphasis should be placed on leadership, time and money spent on IT staff to set-up access controls, as well as to educate colleagues about security threats and their consequences.

How can businesses get the most "security bang" for their buck?
The ROI is in a security assessment.  Since most security breaches go undetected, spend money to uncover what you don’t know about your network.  Keep in mind that outsourcing this function is important to the integrity and effectiveness of the assessment.

Does a VoIP network require different and/or additional security?
VOIP security needs to be handled in the same overall context of IT security.  Those in IT security, leadership, policies and procedures should provide the same focus and ROI for VOIP as an application on your network.

Do wireless/mobile network users present different challenges for security?
Wireless network users introduce the challenge of unauthorized access points on your network.  But this challenge can be tackled using the same points mentioned above.  Assume there is a problem and invest in security technology, but most important, invest in your people to set-up access controls and educate staff about security – be it traditional IT security, VOIP, wireless or next generation technology.