Are Mainframes Bulletproof When It Comes to Data Security?

Peter Goldberg
Nov 08, 2011

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time sitting side-by-side with CISOs, helping them to assess their data security risks and counseling them on best practices and technology options to mitigate those risks. The biggest data security misconception I encounter is the belief that the mainframe environment is inherently secure — bulletproof, if you will.

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time sitting side-by-side with CISOs, helping them to assess their data security risks and counseling them on best practices and technology options to mitigate those risks. If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: 

  • When I go into an organization that runs Windows, there’s little question of the need for data security. The organization knows it and so do I.
  • When I visit a company whose IT infrastructure revolves around a mainframe, the mindset is often quite the opposite however.

In fact, the biggest data security misconception I encounter is the belief that the mainframe environment is inherently secure — bulletproof, if you will. Most IT staff view the mainframe as just another network node. Why? Because it’s universally perceived as a closed environment and, therefore, invulnerable to hackers.

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