Securing Access in Network Operations — Emerging Tools for Simplifying a Carrier's Network Security Administration

ABSTRACT Security administrators at the global communications service providers have traditionally experienced difficulties in enforcing access security policies in their network operations. It has not, however, been for lack of trying. Whether security breaches have been intentional (hackers) or inadvertent (well-intentioned network operators misusing commands), network outages and intrusions due to an inability to enforce access security policies have been a serious problem, often resulting in tens of millions of dollars in foregone revenues while impairing a service provider's ability to provide continuous service to its customers. This article reviews the challenges that have existed to date for security administrators while exploring a 4-step approach, using newly available security administration automation tools, to overcome these challenges for network operating environments that involve many hundreds of network operators administering tens of thousands of network elements in a global network.