|
Panic and chaos are not uncommon reactions to the big issues today in enterprise security, defining an approach to governance, or ensuring compliance while protecting data. That’s because depending upon your role and responsibilities in securing your enterprise assets – and depending on the services your business delivers – you and your peers may have widely differing views of where to begin. Exactly how should your security, governance and compliance strategy evolve with your IT infrastructure?
If you’re just beginning SOA planning, then governance issues are likely your primary concern. If you are grappling with updating your overall security strategy, then certainly the role and capabilities of the mainframe need to be considered. Then there are the ever-present threats of identity theft and how to stay on top of that risk. And finally, how are you managing the most valuable asset of all – your customer data – while ensuring a compliant enterprise?
This issue of Mainstream cuts a wide swath across the security, governance and compliance landscape with feature articles, special announcements and in-depth white papers on these topics. Where you begin addressing these challenges depends on your enterprise and your business goals. We hope you agree that this is a good place to start.
Denise A. Hamilton, Editor
IBM System z™ software marketing
|
|
 |
The four challenges of SOA governance
By Dr. Daniel Sabbah, General Manager, IBM Rational Software |
 |
| |
 As service oriented architecture (SOA) becomes more widely adopted, the lessons learned from successful and not-so-successful implementations are piling up. A common set of governance challenges have become apparent, and most of them are familiar to IT executives from software or systems development projects. In this article, Dr. Daniel Sabbah discusses how businesses can avoid major issues in SOA governance with an early focus on four key areas. |
|
Promoting the mainframe to the center of your security universe |
|
| |
The need for security within today’s computing environment remains more crucial than ever, especially as applications grow more complex and threats increase. By centralizing your key security operations on the mainframe, you can take advantage of the platform’s unparalleled reputation for security – and extend it out to bulletproof your entire IT environment. |
|
The mainframe’s reputation for bulletproof security lives on |
|
| |
 Why does your mainframe continue to set the standard for IT security? Learn more about mainframe security design philosophy and the tight linkage between the z/OS operating system, System z hardware and related software tools in this Q&A with Hershel Harris, Vice President of IBM Tivoli Security and Storage. |
|
Regulatory compliance and your data |
|
| |
Face it: There are no silver bullets to automate compliance across different sets of business data. Compliance demands that you set up a strong, comprehensive set of policies and controls that consider operational data, financial data, unstructured data, spreadsheets, e-mail and business intelligence data. Fortunately, there are guidelines, lessons learned and new tools that can help you leverage your existing infrastructure to solve the compliance puzzle – providing competitive advantage and keeping you out of jail. |
|
IMS: The best protection against identity theft
A highly opinionated commentary by Mike Gonzales, IMS performance, IBM Silicon Valley Lab |
|
| |
 Identity theft is hitting a lot of us at a personal level, and the violation is not pretty. But when we’re talking about tens or hundreds of thousands of identities at risk, the potential damage to business, as well as individuals, can be devastating. In this commentary, IMS performance and security expert Mike Gonzales suggests a viable alternative for storing personal data – and asks whether data thieves will ever walk out of a data center carrying big blue iron. Food for thought? |
|
Protecting sensitive data: New data encryption within the drive itself |
| |
IBM has just launched new tape encryption capabilities on its IBM System Storage™ TS1120 Tape Drive that will help you secure your at-rest data with minimal impact to regular operations. This highly secure infrastructure for encryption key management helps you avoid the need for host-based encryption of data — and its drain on performance. It also helps protect information if tape cartridges are lost or stolen by supporting the storage of the data in an encrypted form. |
|
Introducing the IBM System z9 Advantage for SAP Applications |
| |
IBM recently announced the IBM System z9 Advantage for SAP Applications, a solution to help ensure continuous operations while reducing escalating "hidden" costs. It brings together many recent mainframe environment enhancements, delivering the legendary availability, security and manageability features of the System z9 mainframe and DB2 along with significant improvements to optimize and boost price/performance options for SAP applications data serving environments. |
|
IBM to acquire Internet Security Systems |
| |
IBM has announced its intent to acquire Internet Security Systems (ISS), which will become part of IBM Global Technology Services. ISS provides security solutions to thousands of the world's leading companies and governments, helping to proactively protect against Internet threats across networks, desktops and servers. The acquisition advances IBM's strategy to use IT services, software and consulting expertise to automate labor-based processes into standardized, software-based services. |
|
Help ensure the accuracy of your zSeries® order – and qualify for a free leather notebook briefcase |
| |
It’s in the bag: Acquire a minimum of $750 in qualifying IBM monthly license charge (MLC) software or $9,000 in new OTC software licenses through the ShopzSeries Online tool, and receive a free leather briefcase valued at US$150. Eligible software licenses must be acquired at the same time and appear on a single invoice. Customers may take advantage of the promotion as often as desired during the six-month offer period. |
|
Visit our updated System z software Web site for the latest news |
| |
Our System z software Web site was designed and content organized to help you quickly find the System z software information you want. Bookmark new pages about Information on Demand, service oriented architecture and Enterprise Transformation, and IBM IT Service Management – and keep up with the latest System z software product and event news. |
Zurich North America/Farmers Insurance increased its business flexibility and now provides exceptional service with WebSphere Application Server on z/OS and zAAP. View the video, and learn from other customers about how to continually improve business processes – and results.
A single sign-in lets you access The Mainstream's download page  where you can retrieve a selection of resources including these new white papers and tools:
Governing the business process of software and systems development SOA Compliance - Initial steps in a longer journey Help maximize the security of SOA environments for government Hurwitz & Assoc - Thinking from Reuse - SOA for Renewable Business
|
|
CCR2™ provides fresh and high-value content from leading Systems z IT professionals and experts that will help in the day-to-day management of their mainframe applications and environments. Don't miss the current issue of the CCR2 newsletter. |
|
CICS Portfolio e-Newsletter
If you are a CICS architect, developer, administrator, business manager or decision maker, the CICS Portfolio e-Newsletter will help you leverage your existing CICS assets. You’ll also learn about the latest technical developments for CICS and System z tooling, education, events and user groups. |
Events
Our events give you an opportunity to meet the experts in person, and see the latest products in action.
|
One event, more value - IBM Information on Demand 2006 |
| |
  You won't want to miss the next generation of IBM Information Management technical conferences - the IBM Information On Demand Global conference in Anaheim. Calif. on Oct 15 - 20. The DB2 and IMS technical conferences are now part of this new event that covers all of IBM’s Information Management products and includes a new business leadership program targeted to executives and decision-makers. Industry-leading speakers headline the event, including a keynote by Michael Eisner and star-studded entertainment from Gladys Knight. |
|
WebSphere service oriented architecture for System z |
| |
Learn how to go from designing an SOA roadmap unique to your business objectives, to management of that new environment as it delivers results. This series of live seminars across North America will show you how to break down business processes so stakeholders can clearly define business models that reduce inefficiencies. Register now in a city near you to learn about IBM’s newest WebSphere and SOA-related offerings, and how to leverage your existing investments to support an On Demand operating environment. |
Visit for the latest information on System z events.
Teleconferences
|
Connectivity for SOA: The advantages of an advanced ESB on System z |
| |
Connectivity is the technical underpinning for a services oriented architecture (SOA), ensuring flexible communication across the enterprise – and nowhere is it more effective than on System z™. In this teleconference, we will show you how an advanced enterprise service bus (ESB) on System z can give you the universal data transformation that messaging backbones require for seamless connectivity. You’ll learn how an ESB, WebSphere MQ and other WebSphere tools can help deliver value to all segments of your business – not just new Web services applications. |
 |
|
Webcasts 2006
Take advantage of IBM webcasts to keep up with the latest thinking in business and IT best practices in business and IT covering topics that span the mainframe software environment. Learn how IBM System z software tools can help you work smarter, faster and more cost-effectively.
Our webcasts are ongoing - check back often for updates to the schedule.
You can also choose from among various webcast replays, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. View these upcoming and recently posted webcasts today:
|
Visit any time to find out how to attend these sessions or view the replay from the archives.
Keep up to date on the latest business strategies and news IBM System z software and related solutions with this convenient e-mail newsletter.
It's easy to subscribe to The Mainstream.
|
