New Verizon Risk-Management Service Helps Businesses Take the Guesswork Out of Security Decision Making Through Focus on Data, Metrics

NEW YORK, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To help enterprises analyze the effectiveness of their data security measures and determine whether they need to be strengthened, Verizon is offering a new evidence-based risk management service that takes the guesswork out of security decision making while putting to work the insight gained from "Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report" series.

The offering, Incident Analytics Service (IAS), enables customers to describe, track, analyze and benchmark data breach incident metrics via a Web application that provides access to data from Verizon's extensive historical and ongoing incident analysis research, one of the largest information risk repositories in the world.  

Sources of this data include the anonymous and aggregated data from all IAS participants; Verizon's annual "Data Breach Investigations Report"; and information shared freely through the Verizon Enterprise Risk and Incident Sharing (VERIS)  application.  The application is a repository for information collected from security incidents that are voluntarily and anonymously reported by participating organizations.  

IAS can help enterprises strengthen their security posture, improve risk-management planning and better allocate resources while prioritizing security initiatives based on risk reduction and cost effectiveness.  The new service also helps enterprises better understand how their security posture stacks up against peers by providing anonymous benchmarking information on peer security incidents, losses, controls and security spending.  

For example, users can review actual information to determine whether they have more or less incidents on average than their peers, or how their incidents differ from their peers in nature or magnitude. Based on this information users can determine what is the optimal short-term and long-term remediation strategy to meet security goals.

"For years, enterprises looking to assess and strengthen their security procedures have been hampered by an alarming lack of data," said Peter Tippett, vice president, industry solutions and security practices, Verizon.   "But with IAS, that is no longer the case.  The service provides enterprises with access to a wealth of data that can help them better understand their security posture and reduce risk -- not through guesswork, but through much-needed comparative data and security metrics."  

Delivered as software-as-a-service, IAS provides customers with timely risk information via its online dashboard, where users can quickly access historical data, as well as analysis, reporting, trending and peer benchmarking information.  The Verizon RISK Team also offers robust consulting services aimed at building and maintaining a strong security metrics and risk management program.  Consulting services includes training, guidance, analysis and recommendations.

Verizon is a global leader in driving better business outcomes for enterprises and government agencies. Verizon delivers integrated IT and communications solutions via its high-IQ global IP and mobility networks to enable businesses to securely access information, share content and communicate. Verizon is rapidly transforming to a cloud-based "everything-as-a-service" delivery model that will put the power of enterprise-class solutions within the reach of every business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 104 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon