Overview

What This Chapter Will Do For You

This chapter looks at various security threats to storage, storage networks, and storage management tools. Some of the items you will learn about in this chapter include:

• Can you afford not to protect your data and storage infrastructure environment?

• What is your threat risk level and how much security do you need?

• Essential storage networking security information to keep your name out of the news!

• Best practices and tips to help secure storage resources without productivity loss

13.1 Overview

This chapter looks at several ways to secure storage networking components, including switches, directors, and the devices that attach to them. Some techniques to isolate and segment the SAN and device traffic are also covered, an important aspect of securing and protecting the devices and networks locally and over distance. Multisegment storage networks will also be looked at.

13.2 Storage and storage networking security threats

Security of your networks and systems is crucial in normal times and essential during service disruption. Security of the network should extend from the core to the remote access sites, whether home, remote office, or a recovery site. Security is between client and server (or via the Web) and between servers. Securing the home environment includes restricting work computers or PCs, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), virus detection, and, of course, system backup. Security becomes more important the farther away from a secured physical environment you go, particularly in shared environments.

Networking and remote access bring flexibility...