The dark side of layered security

Layered security is currently considered a best practice for enterprises, since a single layer of defense against attackers is no longer enough. Sometimes, however, these layers can have unintended consequences and even make a company less secure than before.

Complexity

Jason Brvenik, principal engineer in the Cisco Security Business Group, said that he’s seen organizations with as many as 80 different security technologies applied in layers.

“The proliferation of best of breed technologies creates security technology sprawl in pursuit of layered security and defense in depth,” he said. “We see plenty of examples and sprawl and operational cost rising, where the technologies tend to conflict with each other.”

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