Passing Your Next Audit: The Challenges of Properly Securing Your IBM i and Maintaining Compliance

Read this eBook to learn more about IBM i security challenges commonly faced by staff at IBM i shops in their efforts to harden security and pass compliance audits.

Achieving a Secure IBM i – A Job That’s Never Finished

Achieving optimal security on the IBM i isn’t so much a destination as it is a journey that’s marked by a continual series of efforts toward improvement. That’s because security is never static – threats are constantly changing, new and expanded compliance regulations are being introduced, and there are new technologies and best practices to consider. On top of everything else, IBM i environments are in a constant state of flux resulting from changing user needs, new workloads, new interfaces to external protocols, and more. This dynamic situation creates numerous concerns for IT staff, security officers, and corporate management.

A recent survey by Precisely, of organizations with IBM i systems in their IT infrastructure, shows the impact that security and compliance have on IT priorities*:

• Security is the most frequently reported IT priority for the coming year
• 36% say security is their number one IT priority in the year ahead
• 70% say they are only somewhat confident or less in the effectiveness of their security program
• 25% say the growing complexity of regulations presents a challenge to ensuring security

In this eBook, we’ll look at several specific security challenges commonly faced by staff at IBM i shops in their efforts to harden security and pass compliance audits. These challenges include enforcing security and compliance policies, defending against unauthorized access (particularly via open-source protocols), auditing and tracing suspicious activity, keeping sensitive data away from prying eyes, limiting powerful profiles, and more. In addition to presenting challenges, this eBook describes some of the technologies and best practices that can provide much needed solutions.