Comprehensive IBM i Security Requires a Multi-layered Approach

Key Takeaways

• Implement a multi-layered defense to ensure robust protection for your IBM i environment against evolving cybersecurity threats.
• Address unique IBM i security challenges by recognizing vulnerabilities like integration issues, skilled staff shortages, and unpatched systems.
• Stay proactive and informed with vulnerability reports that help you understand and mitigate risks, including zero-day vulnerabilities.

As cybersecurity threats shift daily, it’s more important than ever to adopt a strategic and proactive defense strategy for your IBM i environment.

A multi-layered approach to IBM i security ensures robust protection by building multiple security walls, making it significantly harder for attackers to successfully breach your defenses. Let’s dive into the current state of IT security, the unique challenges for IBM i, and the solutions you need to protect your systems.

A Snapshot of the IT Security Landscape

Security threats are constantly morphing, with new ones arising every day. That means your organization needs to stay vigilant to keep your defenses up. There are key factors influencing the security world that can be broken down into two categories: business impact and marketplace drivers.

Let’s look at each more closely:

Business impacts:

• Business-driven security: Security is commonly becoming more of a company-wide concern, requiring a centralized approach rather than isolated solutions. This shift ensures higher visibility and prioritization at the corporate management level due to the significant risks involved.
• Boardroom focus: Security concerns have reached the boardroom, prompting strategic approaches to risk management from IT teams. This high-level attention is crucial for securing the necessary funding and support for your security initiatives.
• Cloud integration: The hybrid environment, combining on-premises and cloud data, poses new security challenges. Ensuring consistent security across all platforms is vital for protecting your data and applications.
• Product consolidation: Companies are moving towards holistic security solutions, reducing the number of vendors and products to simplify their security landscape.

 Marketplace Drivers:

• Regulations driving change: Compliance with evolving regulations, like Europe’s DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), requires rigorous security practices. Staying up to date on these regulations is essential for maintaining security and avoiding penalties.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA has become essential for enhancing security across all business platforms. It provides an extra layer of protection, ensuring that only authorized personnel access sensitive systems.
• Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is a double-edged sword in security. While it can enhance security measures, it also empowers cybercriminals to launch more sophisticated attacks. You need to leverage AI strategically to stay ahead.
• Quantum-safe cryptography: As quantum computing advances, your current encryption methods may become vulnerable. Preparing for quantum-safe cryptography is crucial for future-proofing your security infrastructure.

Unique IBM i Security Challenges

If you’re familiar with IBM i, then you’re probably no stranger to the fact that there are unique security challenges that require your attention. Recognizing and addressing issues like those outlined below is essential for maintaining a secure environment.

• Perception of impregnability: Despite its reputation for security, IBM i requires active measures to ensure protection. It certainly is a securable platform, but you can’t fall into the trap of assuming it’s secure out-of-the-box.
• Integration challenges: The interconnected nature of IBM i with other systems and applications increases potential vulnerabilities. Each integration point presents a risk for attacks.
• Skilled staff shortages: Finding skilled IBM i security professionals is challenging as an increasing number of IBM-fluent people retire from the workforce or move on to other opportunities. Replacing these experts with equally knowledgeable staff is becoming a big problem for many organizations.
• Evolving attack landscape: Cybercriminals constantly seek new ways to exploit IBM i’s rich data environment. Continuous vigilance and updates are necessary to combat these threats.
• Keeping up with updates: Regularly applying updates and patches from IBM is critical. Unpatched systems make you more vulnerable to breaches.

 Addressing Security Vulnerabilities

When you look at your own environment, what kinds of vulnerabilities exist, and how can you best address them?

Vulnerabilities, including zero-day vulnerabilities, pose significant security risks to your IBM i environment. A zero-day vulnerability is unknown to the owners, developers, or anyone capable of mitigating it. Until the vulnerability is fixed, threat actors can exploit it in what’s called a “zero-day attack”.

While best practice for known vulnerabilities is to patch them as soon as a fix is available, zero-day vulnerabilities require more attention.

IBM i Security Bulletin notifications are a helpful way to stay informed about the latest vulnerabilities and patches. You can use X-force vulnerability reports to assess the severity and relevance to your environment.

Understanding key cybersecurity objectives and the typical hacking methodology is crucial for interpreting these vulnerability reports and enhancing your security measures, so let’s explore those more.

Cybersecurity objectives relate to the damage prevention, protection, and recovery of computer systems and services and the information in them to ensure the CIA triad – that’s confidentiality, integrity and availability:

• Confidentiality: Prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
• Integrity: Ensure data consistency and accuracy.
• Availability: Maintain data accessibility and operational functionality. 

Leveraging X-Force Vulnerability Reports

X-Force vulnerability reports provide you with critical insights into potential threats and how to address them.

These reports detail vulnerabilities, their impact, and suggested mitigation strategies. For instance, an IBM i performance tools vulnerability could allow local users to gain elevated privileges due to an unqualified library call. Understanding and acting on such reports is vital for maintaining robust security.

The Four Layers of Comprehensive IBM i Security

A multi-layered defense approach is essential for comprehensive security.

By combining the advanced capabilities available in Assure Security solutions, you can build a robust and resilient IBM i defense that helps you fight vulnerabilities and attacks – including zero-day attacks. Here are the four key layers at a glance:

1. Network security: Use tools like Assure SAM (System Access Manager) and Assure MFA to control access to services and applications. These tools provide additional layers of authentication and access control.
2. System security: Monitor system events and configurations with Assure AMR (Assure Monitoring Reporting) and manage elevated privileges with Assure EAM (Elevated Authority Manager) – helping to enforce the least privilege concept and record user sessions.
3. Object security: Monitor object authority and manage access based on specific tasks using Assure AMR and Assure EAM.
4. Data security: Protect sensitive data with Assure Encryption, ensuring that even if other defenses fail, your data remains secure.

Deploying this robust, multi-layered approach is what will keep your business resilient and protected against advanced threats.

Take Action to Secure Your IBM i

Securing your IBM i environment requires a proactive, multi-layered defense cybersecurity strategy.

Understanding the security landscape, addressing unique challenges, and implementing robust solutions is how you’ll maintain a secure IT environment and enhance your protection against cyber threats. As the cybercriminals continue to evolve their tactics, you need to stay a step ahead.

To learn more and empower your organization to stay ahead of evolving cybersecurity threats, read the eBook: How Malware is Reshaping IBM i Security – The rules have changed.