Introduction to the security of information systems (SIS)

Information Systems Security (ISS) is an extremely vast field, involving a wide range of legal, social and economic concepts, personnel management and highly specialized technical knowledge.

In this SSI section, although legal and organizational aspects are covered, the primary objective is to review a number of security technologies and issues from a technical perspective. In doing so, it is difficult to be exhaustive, given that :

• computer networks can be based on a large number of transport network technologies (Wi-Fi, IPv4, IPv6, MPLS, ATM);

• These technologies are evolving to enable greater user mobility and support for a wider range of services (messaging, electronic transaction services, IP telephony, cloud computing, RFID);

• the technologies are based on critical network services (LDAP directories, DNS, traffic routing) involving not only terminals but also network equipment (routers, switches);

• a wide variety of players are involved in ISS (operators, service providers, private network administrators, private individuals, equipment manufacturers, software publishers).

Given that SSI security solutions aim to protect a computer network (applications, operating systems, network exchanges, etc.) at various levels, in order to better safeguard the security of users, the interests of a company, the network of an operator, the services of a supplier (both its content and the guarantee of being paid), it is clear that the points of view of the attacker attempting to thwart the security barriers are very diverse. The resulting security solutions, with their different protection objectives and requirements, are all the more heterogeneous.

In this SSI section, different types of items are offered, namely :

• articles that provide an in-depth, yet comprehensible, didactic overview of the technology in question;

• research articles dealing with emerging technologies or technical solutions, and practical articles providing an immediate solution to a specific ISS implementation problem.

Academics and industrialists have worked together to produce this collection, which is intended as a theoretical and practical compendium of their professional experience.

This article provides an overview of the various components of SSI, without going into detail on each one. Its aim is to provide readers with the necessary perspective to fully understand the issues to which the articles address, and thus offer them greater autonomy in their reading choices....