Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59881
From Editors the Guarding the Castle Keep An author I know compares the process of writing fiction to the task of hacking his way through the jungle. Once he has chopped his way through dense overgrowth to the central clear- ing of water and light, he retraces his steps and makes the way smooth for the travel- ers who follow behind him. Writing magazine articles, I've found, is a similar but more complex process, partic- ularly if I've interviewed dozens of people and gathered information from a variety of sources. Then writing seems like clearing out an overgrown garden, yank- ing down vines, shoveling out excess, and pruning, pruning, pruning, till I'm left with one sculpted rose. I was certainly feeling that way as I put together the article "Knights in Cyber Armor," which required me to organize massive amounts of informa- tion. This time, the imagery in my head was more technological than horti- cultural, as the twisting vines morphed into bulky cables and the bright blos- soms twining around the trellis were replaced by bright console lights blink- ing around the mainframe. Still a lot of clutter to clear out, still a lot of bits and bytes to organize! I assumed that many CIOs and IT specialists sometimes felt like garden- ers themselves as they continually fought through a thicket of information to find the perfect solution to their cybersecurity needs. But the ones I talked to seem to be operating on a different botanical principle. Many of them view themselves more as the caretakers tending the mile-high thorn bushes surrounding Sleeping Beauty's castle. They spend all their energy cultivating a ring of defenses that guard the ivory tower from potential marauders—hackers, spammers, virus creators—while the innocents remain inside, peaceful, oblivious, and safe. It's a role that makes perfect sense to Stratton Sclavos, CEO of VeriSign Inc., which offers security and authentication services for the online world. He thinks constantly about the best ways to keep data protected, from pro- viding products and services that safeguard computer systems to promoting education about how individuals can connect safely to their networks. He knows that the villains trying to breach the tower's defenses will only become more sophisticated with time—which means the ring of virtual thorns must become practically impenetrable. Metaphors aside, cybersecurity is a complicated but critical component of b-school success. Without it, anyone can breach the castle keep and steal the treasure inside. And that treasure is not some simple rose, but the beating heart of the university's data center—worth protecting with every hedge and knight on campus. ■ z 6 BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005 BILL BASCOM