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News Release - 4 December 2001
CITICUS SIGNS DEAL WITH INFORMATION SECURITY FORUM
TO HELP COMPANIES DRIVE DOWN INFORMATION RISK
UK company Citicus Limited has signed a unique agreement with the influential
Information Security Forum (ISF) to deliver web-based automation for implementing
the ISF's ground-breaking FIRM (Fundamental Information Risk Management)
methodology. The deal gives Citicus worldwide, exclusive rights to develop
the automation and commits Citicus and the ISF to actively promote the
end-product: Citicus ONE.
Recognised as a world-class methodology
for managing the risks posed by business application systems, computer
installations, communications networks and other IT resources, FIRM was
developed in conjunction with the ISF by a team led by a founder of Citicus.
Based on ten years of statistical
research among ISF members – who include some 250 of the world’s
largest companies – FIRM provides decision-makers with a graphical
view of information risk, including quantitative risk league tables, and
offers a practical process for reducing information risk to an acceptable
level across enterprises of all sizes.
Citicus is developing the automation
needed to implement FIRM successfully using flexible, web-based technology.
The result - Citicus ONE - will be launched world-wide in early 2002.
Ongoing development and enhancement of Citicus ONE and the FIRM methodology
will continue through close collaboration between Citicus and the ISF.
"This agreement is a major
step forward - both for Citicus and for companies concerned about information
risk - at a time when attention is being focussed on good corporate governance,
and increasing threats from hackers, sophisticated viruses and terrorists,"
says Simon Oxley, Managing Director of Citicus. "Leading enterprises
recognise the urgent demand for fast and effective solutions and we are
working closely with our 15 launch partners - who include some of the
world’s largest multinational corporations - to help them implement
FIRM using Citicus ONE."
According to ISF research, an
average business-critical information resource will suffer an incident
that may compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of
information every working day (260 incidents per year). And in the course
of a year there is a 60% chance that one of these events will be a major
incident that will significantly affect the business.
"From our research it is
clear that few organisations have a sound method of managing the growth
in information risk, which is accelerating with the dependence on IT systems
and growth in e-business initiatives," says Alan Stanley, Managing
Director of the ISF. "Through the development of FIRM and this new
agreement with Citicus, our members gain early access to a systematic,
automated approach for identifying and remedying the factors that make
information risk so high."
Motorola is a Citicus launch
partner helping to steer the development of Citicus ONE. Lawrie Lee, head
of Information Protection for Motorola Europe, Middle East and Africa,
has already used the prototype version of the software, and plans to roll
it out worldwide. "No company, whatever its size, can be complacent
about information risk. Our pilot implementation of the prototype FIRM automation enabled us to quickly and accurately focus attention on driving
down information risk and we believe the full Citicus ONE system will
help us maximise the effectiveness of our expenditure on security controls."
About Citicus (www.citicus.com)
Citicus was formed by Marco Kapp - the
chief architect of the FIRM methodology - and Simon Oxley and Sian Alcock,
who both contributed to its development.
The company was established to
develop and market world-class automated risk management tools that emerge
from Citicus' collaborative development programmes and to provide supporting
education, training and consultancy.
About the ISF (www.securityforum.org)
The Information Security Forum is an independent, not-for-profit association
of leading organisations dedicated to clarifying and resolving key issues
in information security, and developing security solutions that meet the
key business needs of its members.
With over 250 of the world's leading organisations as members, the ISF
is well placed to mount its extensive work programme that provides members
with the opportunity to come together to develop best practice and share
a wealth of experience and expertise.
FIRM itself emerged from the ISF's 1999 / 2000 work programme and has
been widely acclaimed by ISF members since its publication last year.
Ends
For more information contact:
Peter Rennison or Alison Andrews, PRPR Ltd, Tel: + 44 (0)1442 245 030
email: pr@prpr.co.uk
Simon Oxley, Marco Kapp or Sian Alcock, Citicus Ltd, Tel: +44 (0)20 7203
8405
email: info@citicus.com
Alan Stanley, Information Security Forum, Tel: +44 (0)20 7213 1745
email: alan.stanley@securityforum.org
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