Security News Planet

Posts Tagged ‘Network’

Corporate network security may feel like finding your way on a big dark ocean without a compass or navigation system; the way to safety seems hidden in the great darkness. Security in the midst of great uncertainty or even danger is paramount, whether you are a ship at sea or a corporation facing the unrelenting onslaught of security threats. Charting a course to safety is a critical first step to establishing peace amidst chaos. The best first step to establishing corporate network security is establishing corporate security policies. Because of corporation’s dependence on networks for all aspects of communication and supporting the many layers of the technology architecture, network security should be one of the key elements of focus when crafting a security policy. One aspect of a corporate network security policy is network inspection. After the policy parameters and goals are crafted around subject areas like password security, physical security, vulnerabilities and network access, it is essential to define practices to validate the effectiveness of these security policies. This validation can be automated with the use of network security tools like intrusion diction, password testing and network security audits. The network extends beyond the internal switches and hubs that fill communication closets, as many networks extend to external networks on the web. Establishing a strong policy for secure web security is the best first step. After the policy, numerous automated detection tools can be employed to test and validate the strength of the company’s web security. Managing e-mail security is a liability for any corporation. Moving inside the corporate firewall, companies need to assess email server security that must be viewed in perspective of overall e-mail security. Technology allows for devices that can prevent and audit e-mail security to protect companies against breaches.  Read more... (300 words, 1 image, estimated 1:12 mins reading time)

As new weaknesses and new systems of attack are discovered, just about anyone can most likely launch an overwhelming attack against an unprotected network. IT security is a requirement. Network attacks are developing in their class and in their abilities to dodge detection. Also, attacks are becoming more centered and have bigger money implications for their victims.

Here are 5 Ways IT Security Software Will Benefit Your Business:  Read more... (566 words, 1 image, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

As businesses grow, introducing new technologies into the fabric of internal and remote computing to allow company employees the ability to extend functions into any feasible situation increases the demands on network security to protect company assets. Network security software, often viewed as a control mechanism, is actually a facility that enables technology and business features to extend outside the confines of the business firewall, where new opportunities exist to satisfy and attract new customers. Extending network security software to the enterprise (the entire business organization), whether it’s a global multi-organization or multi-currency entity, can represent significant financial expenditures in terms of licensing and implementation. As a result, companies are reluctant to look at alternatives, fearing licensing will put these options out of reach or that hidden costs will hamper any real gains from switching to a new vendor. In the case of antivirus and anti-spam, realistic cost savings options do exist to reduce the overhead of providing these network security tools to every desktop within the confines of the company firewall and also to outside devices in the mobile computing environment. Such per-device enterprise or unlimited-user licensing models augment the investment in antivirus and anti-spam tools. New generation antivirus and anti-spam tools extend not only to remote laptops and desktops but also to smartphones, making the scope of protection on IP-based devices even greater than traditional desktop-based network security applications. Scanning both inbound and outbound IP traffic so that addresses can be blocked and allowed in both directions, these modern network security software tools integrate best-of-class spam recognition methodologies, whereas a single-vendor approach can easily broken. Integration with mail server technologies from multiple manufacturers is also supported by these new technologies, unlike in traditional antivirus and anti-spam software vendors, where scanning occurs at the desktop instead of the mail server. Scanning is more robust with deep header analysis and holistic image scanning of each piece of mail.  Read more... (325 words, 1 image, estimated 1:18 mins reading time)

Network security is a touchy subject, especially among different network administrators. With this particular facet of the subject, I’ve heard the argument boiled down to this question: How much can you truly trust the machines inside your network?

The answer for a great many network admins: Not much! It is a safe answer, and rightly so; you never know when a rogue trojan horse is going to worm its way into your network and try to phone home a vulnerability or take over other machines on the network. It is a wise precaution to assume that machines on your network cannot be trusted and to take steps to guard against them. For many network administrators, this step takes the form of software firewalls: they are considered a second form of defense if a hardware firewall has been breached, and many organizations will make them an integral part of their images or base machine configurations.  Read more... (544 words, 1 image, estimated 2:11 mins reading time)

With the number of home-based businesses at that time, computers and the Internet are becoming essential tools for businesses. But the active use of the computer company as a tool for banks and other financial transactions, has attracted unscrupulous individuals. They come with programs and virus threats to network security, hoping to intercept important files from home computers. The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Carnegie Mellon University, says there are several ways in which cyber-criminals threaten network security by e-mail. These methods seem harmless and are virtually invisible until it is too late.

These threats are: viruses spoofing e-mail e-mail. These are all considered deliberate abuse computer, but they are unknowingly spread by people who are aware of their possible effects on network security. CERT said that virus writers and malicious programs often use the ignorance of most people to disseminate their viruses.  Read more... (504 words, 1 image, estimated 2:01 mins reading time)