The value of Internet alerts
Bruce Potter · Network Security · 2004
The terrorist attack warnings issued by the US Department of Homeland Security bear a resemblance to the colour coded Internet threat level systems devised by certain IT security organizations. These systems take real-time data from remote sensors and combine that with data about new vulnerabilities and exploits. Bruce Potter examines some threat level systems that are available to IT security professionals today. He reviews alert offerings from ISS, Symantec and SANs. After the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created. One of the goals of DHS was to reach out to the American public and keep them informed of potential terrorist threats. To that end DHS created the Homeland Security Advisory System that uses a color coded scheme to let the public at large know how likely an attack is.