Internal Security in a Engineering Development Environment

Organizations that design, develop, test, and support IP based products present unique security challenges in a converged services network. In an ideal scenario, engineering labs where these activities take place are insulated from the corporate environment to prevent interactions that can compromise corporate network confidentiality, integrity, and availability. From a business point of view it is often difficult, if not impractical, to maintain the level of isolation that will ensure secure and reliable operation while mitigating risks. This paper examines some of the critical security issues and some of the tradeoffs associated with securing corporate network resources in engineering organizations while following practices that enable the efficient pursuit of business objectives.