The IT security model

The first castles in medieval Europe appeared around the 9th century as a result of Viking and Magyar raids. Nobles built castles to control and defend their land and assets. Initially, these structures used natural defenses such as rivers or hills, but soon, earthworks such as mounds, banks and ditches were added for greater defense. In comparison, the first IT security model appeared in the early 1970s when academic institutions and forward thinking corporations recognized the need to control and defend their information assets These security measures started out as simple defenses, such as different passwords for each user, and perhaps the odd access-list on a router. Soon, however, more advanced precautions were being implemented, such as layered security, DMZs (demilitarized zones) and hardened hosts on the network. The article discusses how the evolution of an IT security system can use the model of the development of medieval castles. In the face of increasing costs of ownership, organizations will have to consider radical methods for limiting their financial exposure whilst reducing the infrastructure costs. The article proposes that organizations group together based on mutual advantage.