SECURITY
FOCUS ON SECURITY
Security of networks and the information they carry is fundamental to enabling trusted collaboration. CONNECT spoke to Head of Information and Infrastructure Security, Wayne Routly, to learn more. TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE?
As Head of Security within GÉANT, I have a broad remit, from ensuring the security of the GÉANT network at a PoP level to the security of information handled. I also lead a very skilled team of multi domain security specialists who audit and review the code for security vulnerabilities of the systems that project participants and global researchers use every day. We’re also tasked with producing the next generation of security tools to defend the network against attacks. My other role as the security co-ordinator is
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CONNECT ISSUE 19 2015
to make users are aware of the benefits of secure systems and to showcase the world-leading services we deliver.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURITY FOR CONTEXT
We have to provide users with a secure network with which to facilitate research and education in free and open networks. Therefore, ensuring users can trust the network, to validate the integrity of the infrastructure and the confidentiality of the information that transits it, is critical.
CURRENT CHALLENGES?
Security is a challenge in itself. We must ensure networks remain open and trusted whilst simultaneously defending them against the thousands of events we see targeting the network and our customers across the network. Potential new issues we see is the use of networks of scale to launch denial of service attacks either on the community or even entire countries. We have already started to implement a solution by which to block malicious traffic, but, at the same time enable legitimate traffic through to the end host. Ensuring we maintain access to services and systems is a key challenge.