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DYNAMIC THREAT ENVIRONMENT
Keeping corporate networks safe is more challenging every year, and network security has become one of the most critical issues facing businesses today. New and ever-changing threats appear with alarming regularity, and no organization is immune from risk.
Every time a new and more sophisticated threat presents itself, it changes the very definition of what a “secure network” really is. According to the IBM Internet Security Systems X-Force Research and Development Team, more than 7,247 new Internet security vulnerabilities were discovered in 2006, and 88.4% of those could be exploited remotely.
When a network is breached by intruders, a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, or a malicious virus, the entire organization becomes vulnerable. This can leave a company’s operational resources, customer data, proprietary tools and technologies, and intellectual capital in danger of being stolen, misused, or vandalized by third parties. Network attacks can take many forms, including:
Network Intrusion - In an intrusion scenario, a hacker with no access privileges attempts to penetrate a network remotely for malicious purposes.
DoS/DDoS Attacks - In a DoS attack, targeted systems or networks are rendered unusable, often by monopolizing system resources. A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) involves many computer systems - possibly hundreds - all sending traffic to a few specific targets.
Viruses and Worms - A virus is a computer program that infects other programs with copies of itself, but which is transferred from system to system by some outside mechanism such as e-mail. A virus executes and does its damage when the program it has infected executes. This is distinct from a worm, which is a computer program that is capable of repeatedly copying itself to other computer systems. Worms can carry viral code.
Adware and Spyware - Adware is a software application which installs itself, often without the user's permission, and displays advertising banners while the program is running. They may appear as pop-up windows or as a bar that appears on a computer screen. It may also change browser properties such as the home page. Spyware is similar to adware but often does not reveal its presence by pop-ups or other means. It uses code to track a user's personal information and pass it on to third parties without the user's authorization or knowledge.
Rootkits - A rootkit embeds itself into an operating system and intercepts commands that other programs use to perform basic functions, like accessing files on the computer's hard drive. It hides between the operating system and the programs that rely on it, controlling what those programs can see and do.
DNS Poisoning - Domain Name System (DNS) servers are duped into re-directing traffic originally heading to a benign destination to a malicious Web site instead.
A network can also become vulnerable every time a business experiences growth and change. As networks become more complex and are expected to do more to support and drive business objectives, a simple firewall is not capable of providing the security your network needs. This is where Unified Threat Management (UTM) solutions can be the right solution.
WHAT IS UNIFIED THREAT MANAGEMENT?
Unified Threat Management is the name for an emerging trend in the appliance security market. Unified Threat Management appliances are an evolution of traditional firewall and VPN appliances into a product that has many additional capabilities such as: URL filtering, spam blocking, spyware protection, intrusion prevention, gateway antivirus, and a centralized management, monitoring, and logging function. These functions were traditionally handled by multiple systems.
WHY UNIFIED THREAT MANAGEMENT?
Unified Threat Management Solutions are Cost-effective
Integrating multiple security capabilities into a single appliance mean that you can purchase and use fewer appliances, eliminating the cost of building layered security with separately purchased solutions.
Stops Attacks at the Network Gateway to Keep Your Business Moving
The multi-functional security approach offered by UTM appliances lets you avert catastrophe by blocking a broad range of network threats before they have the opportunity to enter your network. For example, malicious code will not have the opportunity to disable security at the desktop or server level. Your business-critical files and applications remain available to keep your staff on the job.
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