I’ve been helping companies on both sides of the pond solve their data security problems for many years now. If I’ve learned one thing, 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, however, the mindset is often quite the opposite. In fact, the biggest data security misconception I encounter is the belief that the mainframe environment is inherently secure. 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.
In some cases, it’s the mainframe IT pros who hold this conviction. In other instances, it’s the executive management team. Lack of management attention allows “bad practices” to continue. I can tell you this without reserve: data stored in mainframes needs protection just as much as sensitive information stored on a Windows server or anywhere else. And, as systems continue to support more data, users, applications, and services, effective security management in the mainframe environment becomes significantly more difficult.
News flash: mainframes can be hacked!
For that simple reason, mainframe security should not be taken for granted.
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