Metrics Development and Implementation

Metrics Keep Your Company on Course

Is there a system to track SPAM and viruses blocked by Region or Division of your company?
Are you able to identify problem IT areas monthly?
Does your company train ALL employees on ways to avoid dangerous IT situations?

Metrics Development sounds like a very dull subject and tedious exercise; but regular measurement of myriad IT areas can save your company money, downtime, and can point to vulnerable areas within your organization.

Measurement drives positive activity. Tim Smith, CEO of the Enet 1 Group, points to an example of one global company he helped. One of the global regions of this company consistently reported SPAM and virus activity three times the norm in other regions. Users were educated about opening emails with attachments from unknown people, using USBs on an unprotected computer both at home and work, and other seemingly innocuous activities that can bring down a network. Not only were employees trained, but they also received a direct call from local security officers when their individual computers received a virus. In three months, virus activity in the affected region was reduced 75%. This potentially harmful activity was caught and corrected because a metrics measurement was in place. With metrics developed and implemented, security across your organization will improve.

Types of reports generated by metrics measurement

Quarterly identification and remediation of system vulnerabilities due to monthly pen testing
Viruses detected, blocked, and removed using anti-virus software
Critical security incidents handled quickly
SPAM blocked monthly and or quarterly by SPAM filters
Intrusion blocked and prevented by the IPS systems
Recap of total blocked activity at the firewall — monthly and quarterly

We have developed and implemented metrics for hundreds of companies, allowing them to know, not guess, the areas of vulnerabilities and what measures are effective and which are not.