As an outsource security partner BAI provides managed security, managed firewall, managed ids, content filtering, internet security, network security, penetration testing, and vulnerability testing.

Sharing information and solutions is key to combating industry-wide breaches. Some viruses that we heard about last year are still around. Cooperation between experts, companies and authorities is key to combating these viruses as well.

For example, the Nimda Virus is still around. Nimda, which first struck in September 2001, is estimated, according to MSNBC, to have cost up to $500 million as corporations cleaned up their networks and put in the necessary virus protection programs and services. Although most antivirus software programs have the ability to detect and eliminate Nimda since the outbreak, it is still optimum to have some type of managed service in place to guard the whole information system.

This dollar amount is only an estimate. Businesses many times will remain tight-lipped when it comes to reporting cyberattacks or other breaches of their security for fear that the bad publicity will also bombard their bottom lines.

But now the authorities want to know more. In an effort to stem the attacks, the FBI is now offering anonymity and critical information in exchange for attack information and security breach reporting.

The threat of attack is still very real, and it's actually on the rise. Each day, more viruses are reported, more are developed and introduced, and more solutions must be presented to keep information systems intact. One recent West Coast survey in cooperation with the FBI found that 90 percent of survey respondents, primarily large corporations and government agencies, reported computer security breaches in the past 12 months, with most of these losses resulting in significant financial losses.

Companies and information security experts are always eager to receive information about the problems other companies are having, yet they're reluctant to report their own breaches. Companies have been mum about security breaches because they fear giving competitors an advantage, investor reactions, bad publicity and simple egos. The FBI is now cooperating with companies and consultants to circumvent such breaches. It basically comes down to working together and sharing information. Trust is the big key.

Many large companies are well-prepared for these attacks, but small to midsized businesses and those in hot technologies have greater risks. Large companies can sustain a $1 million loss, but that could put a small company out of business.

The general spirit here is that cooperation between businesses and authorities will enhance the effort to fend off attackers. This, along with help from information security consultants and other experts, will be key in overcoming the threats. Why? Because of the dynamic situation that exists. Hackers continually upgrade, change and disguise their modes of operation. The more eyes on the scene, the better the security. Working with a professional who keeps up with the changing states is also key.

The new information-sharing initiative is an extension of what the government calls Infraguard, a 3-year-old program first put together to stem attacks on the nation's economic infrastructure. The FBI began pushing the cooperation after the number of companies attending quarterly Infraguard meetings tripled after the September 11 terrorist attacks. It was obvious not only to the FBI, but also to experts that the high-tech community needs to talk to each other.

Participating in the cooperative partnership at certain levels allows companies to offer sensitive information and receive information about ongoing FBI investigations--information not available to the general public, according to FBI spokespeople.

Regardless of this cooperation and the understanding of the technology, information security remains at the forefront of business challenges. Partnering, sharing and implementation of the solutions can sometimes mean the difference between survival and decimation.