Pomegranates in the Wild West- Internet and network security

I suffered from something of a collision of metaphors at the conference I attended today (#TEISS), but I believe it ended well. So here goes...

The Internet, as it currently stands, is a bit like the Wild West (or at least my concept of the Wild West). Pockets of law and order, like little towns, separated by great swathes of lawlessness and anarchy. Not judging here, just observing. Now add to this the idea of even the towns containing some "black hat" cowboys. You can't always trust your internal users.

So in this situation, which we all share, what do we do to protect our networks and information?

We take our inspiration from the humble (yet delicious) pomegranate, that's what.

Nature has endowed the pomegranate with a tough, leathery outer shell; that is the perimeter controls we put around the outside of our network to prevent the Internet madness getting in. But Nature doesn't stop there. Each pip is in its own little juicy compartment, designed to protect and nourish it - ignoring the idea that fruits aim to be eaten. 

So, in addition to the perimeter controls, we can create internal zones which protect things we care most about. And, in the process, apply the really resource-intensive protections, like IPS, to the bits which matter most. This saves time and money, and is a good way of avoiding overkill. It also follows the principle of managing risk to a suitable level, not trying to stomp out all risk.

Thus- pomegranates in the Wild West. I rest my case, and possibly need a good night's sleep.