Virtually every company in America engaged in Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce gives partners some degree of access to its network. That is a huge mistake, says Evan Kaplan, president, cofounder and CEO of Aventail, a security-services company in Seattle. “The whole notion that you need to tie networks together to do B2B business is bad security,” he says. At least a few companies agree with that sentiment and keep their networks in lockdown. Mt. Sinai/NYU Health System, a New York City network of six hospitals and two affiliated medical schools, shares medical records with outside medical practices. In the past, doctors and clinics could dial in to the network in an unsecured manner. But no more, says senior vice president and CIO Stuart Sugarman. With HIPAA privacy regulations coming, they?re taking no chances. Today, after the doctors enter an order, it?s sent back to them with read-only access. They can alter this data only by using the secure portal and with the proper sign-on authorization and patient access. They can download nothing, and the application shuts down after a certain amount of idle time. And when Mt. Sinai/NYU shares information to complete transactions with insurance companies, there?s no real-time connection. Everything is stored and forwarded in a batch environment. ?We just don?t believe the Internet is secure,? says Sugarman.Similarly, Lockheed-Martin allows no partners beyond its firewalls. The Bethesda, Md.-based defense contractor may set up separate secure websites to do business with certain partners, but there?s no access into Lockheed?s networks, says Senior Security Analyst A. Padgett Peterson. And to further protect classified information, Lockheed maintains a special classified network with no connection to its main networks. ?This limits our exposure every time we enter into a contractual relationship with a partner,? says Peterson. Related content brandpost How an Indian real-estate juggernaut keeps growing by harnessing the power of zero A South Indian real-estate titan is known for the infinite variety and impressive scale of its projects, but one of its most towering achievements amounts to nothing literally. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor May 31, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Hybrid working: the new workplace normal IT leaders discuss how a more broadly dispersed workforce impacts device deployment, connectivity, and the employee experience, even as more workers return to the office. By Michael Krieger May 31, 2023 5 mins Remote Work opinion Can you spot the hidden theme of CSO’s Future of Cybersecurity summit? By Beth Kormanik May 31, 2023 2 mins Events Cybercrime Artificial Intelligence case study How IT leaders use EV tech to fuel the transport revolution in Kenya Many African nations are starting to invest in electric vehicle (EV) transportation as a means to broaden access and help keep pace with global environmental initiatives. In Kenya, strides are being made despite industry and tech leaders grappling to By Vincent Matinde May 31, 2023 5 mins CIO CTO Emerging Technology Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe