VPNs are the best way to do this (for an in-depth look at affordable VPN access, see "Don't Open the Door for Strangers,"). Windows 2000/XP and Mac OS X have built-in VPN support on the client, but you need to buy a VPN gateway, which you can get from Symantec and other vendors for as little as $1,000. VPN gateways are often included in an all-in-one security appliance. Large units for big organizations are available from the infrastructure players. Cisco Systems makes one of the least expensive, at $20,000 for 1,500 users.
We've yet to encounter a free VPN gateway solution that's easy to use and maintain--the open-source community has taken a few stabs at it, with unexciting results. The biggest open-source VPN project, Freeswan, recently announced that it has ended development.
Keep Out
Antivirus software is critical for desktop security. Computer Associates, Sophos, Symantec and Trend Micro all offer AV products for less than $35 a seat; we're unaware of any free Windows AV products for commercial use. Because antivirus technology is mainly reactionary and dependent on signatures, recently created attacks and viruses may slip past the AV scanner. Fortunately, AV software requires virtually no maintenance beyond regular signature updates.
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
