EVALUATING SECURITY THREATS IN MAINFRAME AND CLIENT SERVER ENVIRONMENTS/

Recently, client/server computing has become a serious alternative to mainframe computing in industry. It offers some benefits, but it also exposes the computing environment to additional risks: the flexibility that makes it attractive can also make it more vulnerable to security breaches. This paper reports the results of a study that explored how companies that were moving from a mainframe environment to one that i ncluded client/server technology, evaluated and took measures to prote ct against potential information security threats. Apparently, althoug h security measures in the mainframe environment have been well implem ented relative to their perceived threat, the same cannot be said abou t the client/server environment. Certain critical areas in the client/ server environment in which security exposure is likely are discussed. Organizations must become aware of these critical areas and ensure th at appropriate security measures are implemented to reduce the possibi lity of loss. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.