Secure Access to Mission-Critical Applications

Abstract Every day, MIS departments in organizations around the world wonder how they can maximize the potential of the Internet. One of the biggest obstacles still holding them back is their concern over security. Organizations face new challenges when attempting to interface legacy systems with the Web. Whether it is an internal intranet or external access for employees or business partners over the Internet, a series of security measures and policies can be put in place to ensure secure access to these mission-critical applications. This article will look at several levels of security that companies should address to help alleviate concerns over utilizing the Internet for business-critical activities. Areas to address include network integrity, authentication services, communication integrity, and protection of the information flowing across the network.