Today every organization is experiencing an explosive growth of data. This information needs to be effectively stored, protected, optimized and managed in an organization. The main challenge experienced with any storage administrator is not only to manage this data explosion but to ensure in-time availability of data as per requirement of different business processes and this is achieved without compromise in its Security and Integrity.
Storage Area Network or SAN, provides a High-speed, dedication network of servers and shared storage devices. It provides easy management and scalable environment for data storage. Common SAN deployments are based on Fibre Channel technology using Fiber Channel protocol or IP based using IP-based protocols for communication. Fiber Channel or FC is a high-speed network technology usually running on an optical Fiber cables to meet demand for increased data transfer speed. FC-SAN as the name implies carries data between server and storage devices using Fiber Channel Network. This e-book provides brief overview on Fibre Channel Protocol, its architecture and implementation.
Traditionally, it is believed that at Data Center level, IT Security only deals with conventional TCP/IP based Network and SAN does not need any specific security implementation due to it's closed and physically protected environment from outside world. In SAN environment, one of the primary threats are not Outsiders, but Insiders are. Stealing of Backup disk having sensitive information or Copying of valuable data hurt companies equally as any outside attack does. Information leakage from Inside makes the company lose more than any leakage from outside as here information is endless and unrestricted. Copy of Financial plan, research details, proprietary product codes, product plans and road-maps, logs, customer information, sensitive emails, files, attachments are some of the examples of information leakage, that can easily occur from inside. Hackers and sometimes competing company always look for such intellectual properties to gain a quick competitive advantage.
SAN security is a relatively new and specialized field, dealing with storage-specific security issues, but it also follows conventional security principles. It is a continuous process and need regular evaluation with advancement in both threats and technologies. It needs to be a part of overall IT security strategy. Just like traditional network security, we can implement Access Control list or ACLs, Public Key Infrastructure or PKI and other Authentication Protocols. This e-book is a small effort to bridge knowledge gap among storage and security professionals. It provides overview on some of the associated security myths and risk along with security best practices for Fibre Channel SAN.
This e-book is also available in Video format, as a part of Training course on 'Data Storage Network and Security'
http://www.training.hack2secure.com/courses/data-storage-network-and-security
Storage Area Network or SAN, provides a High-speed, dedication network of servers and shared storage devices. It provides easy management and scalable environment for data storage. Common SAN deployments are based on Fibre Channel technology using Fiber Channel protocol or IP based using IP-based protocols for communication. Fiber Channel or FC is a high-speed network technology usually running on an optical Fiber cables to meet demand for increased data transfer speed. FC-SAN as the name implies carries data between server and storage devices using Fiber Channel Network. This e-book provides brief overview on Fibre Channel Protocol, its architecture and implementation.
Traditionally, it is believed that at Data Center level, IT Security only deals with conventional TCP/IP based Network and SAN does not need any specific security implementation due to it's closed and physically protected environment from outside world. In SAN environment, one of the primary threats are not Outsiders, but Insiders are. Stealing of Backup disk having sensitive information or Copying of valuable data hurt companies equally as any outside attack does. Information leakage from Inside makes the company lose more than any leakage from outside as here information is endless and unrestricted. Copy of Financial plan, research details, proprietary product codes, product plans and road-maps, logs, customer information, sensitive emails, files, attachments are some of the examples of information leakage, that can easily occur from inside. Hackers and sometimes competing company always look for such intellectual properties to gain a quick competitive advantage.
SAN security is a relatively new and specialized field, dealing with storage-specific security issues, but it also follows conventional security principles. It is a continuous process and need regular evaluation with advancement in both threats and technologies. It needs to be a part of overall IT security strategy. Just like traditional network security, we can implement Access Control list or ACLs, Public Key Infrastructure or PKI and other Authentication Protocols. This e-book is a small effort to bridge knowledge gap among storage and security professionals. It provides overview on some of the associated security myths and risk along with security best practices for Fibre Channel SAN.
This e-book is also available in Video format, as a part of Training course on 'Data Storage Network and Security'
http://www.training.hack2secure.com/courses/data-storage-network-and-security
