If you enjoy Network Security, you are sure to enjoy this article for the content it contains. Every effort has been taken to provide you with quality content which might be useful to you. http://www.securing-network.com Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:49:53 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.securing-network.com/general/securing-your-network.html L-3 Network Security's Retriever 1.0 helps you identify possible security holes in your network. Some network administrators wouldn't even know that their network had been compromised until they saw that someone had drawn a fake mustache on the CEO's picture on the company's Web site. Other administrators are more vigilant, but they don't have the time to search the Web for new vulnerabilities for all of their e-mail, Web, FTP, and file server products connected to the Internet. Likewise, controlling users and preventing them from connecting modems and setting up ad hoc remote-access servers can be a full-time job. The only solution is a security scanning application that can monitor the network for you. Unfortunately, these products can cost thousands of dollars and require extensive knowledge of TCP/IP services and protocols. L-3 Network Security has introduced a package called Retriever 1.0 that's not only easy to use, but at $500 for up to 255 IP addresses, it is also one of the most inexpensive scanning programs on the market. Retriever can scan for security holes, diagram your network, predict possible vulnerabilities, and discover modems and other access devices the administrator doesn't know about or approve. Getting Set Up Retriever is sold based on the number of IP addresses you want to scan. For example, for a single Class C network (up to 255 addresses), pricing starts at $500 a year, which is an annual subscription that includes updates to the vulnerability database, free Web-based technical support, and free upgrades to the software. The cost per address drops down for larger installations. You can download a demo and a seven-day evaluation copy from L-3's Web site (www.L-3security.com). We found this product easy to install, but unfortunately we were unable to define where to copy the files. This is only a problem... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/network-security-made-simple.html The ultimate, all-in-one firewall security box to protect your business. Your network is connected to the Internet and you don't have a firewall? Talk about living dangerously. Whether it's a hacker prying into your valuable data, or someone on the inside wasting precious bandwidth downloading celebrity nudes, you can bet your connection isn't being treated with the respect it deserves. Configuring your own firewall can be a time-consuming, complex process. It doesn't have to be, though--Internet Devices' Fort Knox Policy Router couldn't be simpler to install and use. And it offers optional features that go well beyond a basic keep-out-the-bad-guys firewall. Traffic Cop To get started you simply connect the Fort Knox box between your ISP and a hub on your network. From that point, all network traffic to or from the outside world goes through Fort Knox, with you controlling what can and can't get through. Configuring Fort Knox is a snap. Log in from any connected client using a Web browser, and the box's Java-based tools guide you through all the steps for a basic installation. You can pick from three preset security levels (from Policy 1, where nothing gets in or out, to Policy 3, where anything goes) and decide whether you want to use URL blocking to keep your users from viewing certain sites on the Net. You can also force users to log in with a name and password before they get access to the Internet, giving you an extra level of security. If the preset configurations don't work for you, simply use the tools to change whatever you need using the graphical, point-and-click interface. Fort Knox offers a variety of standard and optional features to make your network more secure and efficient. Need e-mail? Fort Knox acts as an e-mail server. Want to set up a virtual private network?... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/securing-network-from-within.html RESPONDING TO EVERchanging corporate networks and the growing threat of breaches from employees and partners, several companies are readying new products that secure networks against insider abuse and misuse. While each of the companies approaches the problem from a different perspective, Trusted Network Technologies Inc., Symark Software and SecurSoftware Inc. all aim to bring to the core of the network the same level of protection that's considered table stakes at the perimeter. TNT's Identity platform, which runs on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 2000 and some Linux environments, comprises three components: I-Host, driver software that resides on the endpoint device; I-Gateway, a Linux-based appliance; and I-Manager, the central management console. When a known user makes a request for resources, the I-Host software creates a two-factor identifier for the user. The identifier is made up of data about the user as well as uniquely identifiable information about the device. I-Host then encrypts the identity information, digitally signs it and embeds it in the packets being sent with the user's session request. The extra data inside the packet has no noticeable effect on the packet, and the entire operation is transparent to the user. The request then goes to the I-Gateway appliance, which sits in front of the corporate application servers. The appliance decrypts the information, and if the user is known and is authorized to access the resources, the box sends the packet to the appropriate server. While TNT, of Alpharetta, Ga., is focusing on ordinary users, Symark, based in Agoura Hills, Calif., is targeting administrators with the latest release of its Power-Broker software. The solution is meant to restrict the manner in which administrators can delegate root privileges on Unix and Linux systems. The . system gives administrators the ability to grant limited root access to users on an as-needed basis and provides a comprehensive... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/system-network-tools.html DESKTOP UTILITY Nico Mak WinZip 7.0 Kill the wait on big uploads and downloads with WinZip, Nico Mak's definitive compression and decompression utility. Better yet, use WinZip to archive infrequently used files, then tuck them away on a Zip or Jaz disk for safekeeping. SERVER UTILITY Intel LANDesk Server Manager 6.0 Downed system taking your business down with it? Keep your server farm running by installing LANDesk Server Manager across the enterprise. With the $995 Pro version, you can monitor systems through the LAN or via the built-in modem. Lost a power supply? Don't worry--the Pro version's EMC2 add-in card has a separate plug for just that event. NETWORK UTILITY Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Time's running out to get your network up to code for the big double zero. It you're running Windows NT, Microsoft's SMS may be the best way to plow through the systems, servers, applications, and databases on your LAN in search of potential problems. ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE Network Associates McAfee ViruaScan 4.0.1 The latest news from the virus front is that the Word 97 virus Ethan.a is rampantly spreading across corporate desktops. Symptoms include changes to the author field in your documents, as well as the document title changing to that of Edith Wharton's classic novel, Ethan Frome. VirusScan 4.0.1 may not understand the literary tastes of virus coders, but it'll clean things up anyway. (The latest update takes care of that pesky Melissa virus too.) COLLABORATION AND E-MAIL Novell GroupWise 5.5 A revamped interface and smart new features make GroupWise 5.5 the best choice for e-mail management, group scheduling, and document sharing. If you upgraded to NetWare 5, you can't afford not to upgrade GroupWise as well. New DOCUMENT MANAGER Caere PageKeeper Pro 3.0 Caere one-ups ScanSoft this month with PageKeeper Pro, the new state... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/total-traffic-control-security-software.html SECURITY SOFTWARE The Total Traffic Control -- Version 5.02 is all-in-one network security software. It includes a new Security Agent that provides threat protection for both server and desktop computing systems. The Security Agent enables users to classify any undesirable application as a known malicious program and distribute it to PCs on the school network. The software includes a large categorized database of known desired and malicious programs. The Security Agent does virus signature matching and behavior analysis. This enables rapid and network-wide response to any new attacks. Total Traffic Control Security restricts the use of certain programs. It also allows monitoring the server for system and application event log errors, errors in Lightspeed logs, CPU usage and disk usage. The server is monitored for memory usage, important processes, and SQL server query response. If a problem is identified, users receive an e-mail alert. Lightspeed can resolve the problem by logging into the system remotely. This software is totally designed for strong protection against a variety of threats, ensuring that your students are safe. articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/quick-hits-wireless-lan-security.html - The WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) standard, ratified last year by the Wi-Fi Alliance, will be making its way into products this summer. WPA piovides a significant (if temporary) security boost for Wi-Fi networks by enhancing encryption and authentication capabilities while maintaining backward compatibility. This will allow companies to gradually migrate WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)-based networks to WPA. For more information, go to www.weca.net/opensection/ protected_access.asp. - In March, Microsoft Corp. announced a new WPA security patch for the Windows XP operating system. The patch allows support of WPA enabled wireless networking devices with the Wireless Zero Configuration service. The patch can be downloaded for free (microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?Familyld=009D8425-CE2a B-47A4-ABEC-274845DC9E91&displaylang=en), and plans for WPA support in Windows Server 2003 are in the works. - The IEEE (www.ieee.org) 802.11 x standard provides user authentication and pott-based access control in a throe-component fiarnework and is optional in WEP implementations. WPA requires 802.11x authentication using EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) and RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service) servers, or preshared keys. 802.11x authentication brings much better access control and security breach assessment capabilities to WLANs. - The IEEE is completing the draft of the 802.11i standard, which is intended to address every flaw in 802.11 security. In fact, the WPA standard is taken from a subset ot features found in 802.11i. The completed 802.11i standard will offer stronger encryption algorithms using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and new privacy protocols, as well as a robust hierarchical key management scheme. - The 802.11i standard will require new chip sets to address the processing power required when using AES encryption, and the standard is not designed to he backward-compatible with existing 802.11 hardware. 802.11i is expected to be ratified at the end of this year, and products are currently forecast for early next year. - On the radio technology side,... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/thinking-right-about-network-security.html Computer network security is one of those negatives that few spend Time thinking about. Even so, few ever would secure a home the way networks are secured. One would not build a new home and wait until it is completed to think about adding a security system. The security system would be an integral part of the design. One would not buy windows without latches or doors without locks. Yet often this is exactly what is done with networks. Applications, operating systems, and servers are bought with inadequate security. Then after reading a few Internet horror stories, one decides he or she is living in a really bad neighborhood and tries to fit security into the system. A firewall (or some other security device) is purchased with the idea that it resolves the problem -- but it does not! In reality all that has been created is a false sense of security. Sure, the doors are locked, dead bolted and barred, but the windows are still wide open! Computer security is more than iust putting locks on doors. It is a business process that should be managed and promoted if it is going to be effective and successful. No one would think of using a marginal accounting process or recommend a partial sales program, so why should one settle for marginal or partially effective security? Actually, there is a fairly consistent answer to that question. Although the cost of security can be expressed in real dollars, its benefits are hard to quantify. Most people do not think about security until their network has been breached and the resulting losses in property, productivity, or sales translate into real dollars. The author recommends instead that security should be addressed proactively as a business process. Begin by identifying what assets are at risk,... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/computer-network-security-for-schools.html Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, and Spain. What do all these have in common? School network administrators deal with these computer problems and numerous other computer attacks on a daily basis. When a computer is infected by a backdoor Trojan Horse, a hacker has access to your computer from somewhere else on the Internet. The person who is sitting at the computer will, notice the computer running more slowly. They-may begin to get error messages or encounter files missing from folders. Some Trojan Horses send out e-mail messages with attached files that are infected. There are numerous software and hardware options to protect your network. These include Firewalls, Antivirus Software, SPAM Filtering Software, Security Updates and Network Address Translation Devices. Network Routers and Switches can be configured to filter out unwanted communications. Operating system and computer application security updates can be installed on File Servers and end user computers. Basic Network Safety Rules Here are some basic rules that help lessen the vulnerability of having school computers infected or networks compromised: • Adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy (Computer Use Agreement) established by your School District. Most Acceptable Use Policies contain a statement addressing educational use of district-owned computers. Ensure that anyone using a school computer understands the agreement and has signed the form. • Create secure passwords that include keyboard characters such as "&" numbers and letters. Bad choices for passwords include a family member's name or home street address. • Never share your password. Your password is very important and must be treated as if it were the PIN to your ATM card. • Remember to log off. If you are logged onto a computer or network using your user ID and password, log off prior to walking away. If you don't, the next user on that computer can access your files. • Don't use your e-mail... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/network-security-product-or-service.html When your office has a monitored burglar alarm system installed, is it a product or a service? With infrared motion detectors and sirens, you might think that a security system is a product. But the true value isn't in these Spy Kids gadgets. It's in the vendors' experience, around-the-clock operations center, and rapid-response hot line. The same may be true with network security systems. Historically, the emphasis has been on the products themselves -- Computer Associates' eTrust Antivirus 7.0 and its competitors, enterprise-class firewalls such as the Cisco PIX, and IDSes (intrusion detection systems) from companies such as NetScreen. These products are effective when used correctly. But what is it that you want, security products or security? For small or single-site enterprises, look at security products rather services. Antivirus on the client and server, a tough firewall at the WAN router, and a good password scheme will be a solid enough defense. By contrast, large and distributed organizations have too many potential vulnerabilities, too many entry points, and too many vital assets for security to be handled by a few rack-mounted appliances and a few software licenses. In such a situation, overworked systems administrators must not only maintain the system, but also must know what do when a problem occurs. Between needs assessment, solution installation, maintenance, monitoring, auditing, and real-time response and countermeasures, security is a complex task that many enterprises simply can't handle on their own. Outsourcing network security might be the right strategy, depending on your particular circumstance and enterprise. Bear in mind that your security needs will change rapidly based on events that may be entirely out of your control such as new hack techniques, new viruses, and newly discovered weaknesses in software and hardware platforms. It may be difficult if not impossible for your IT staff to keep abreast of the... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100 http://www.securing-network.com/general/securing-web-bound-traffic.html NC-1000 OFFERS WEB, NETWORK FIREWALLS NETCONTINUUM INC. IS introducing the next version of its Web security gateway, which will include a full stateful inspection firewall and a new method for managing the Web firewall. The NC-1000 Web Security Gateway 4.0 is the first of the crop of Web application firewalls to include a traditional network firewall. The box's application-specific integrated circuit-based architecture made it straightforward for engineers to add the stateful inspection functionality, company officials said. Because the system already inspects Web applications, the addition of network firewall functionality gives it the ability to secure all traffic bound for the Web. The NC-1000 has a new interface for the management of both the Web and network firewalls. The user interface looks identical to that of a typical network firewall and gives administrators the ability to set rules and access control lists and policies with a few clicks. There are separate tabs for access control lists, NAT (network address translation), routes and other features. On the Web application firewall, NetContinuum has included a new feature that can cloak internal Web servers and domains, much the way that NAT works on a network firewall. The technology, known as Web address translation, takes a sensitive internal server name, such as hr.company.com, and translates it into a generic URL. The company has submitted the technology to the Internet Engineering Task Force for consideration as a standard. "This isn't just one way of going about this," said Wes Wasson, chief strategy officer at NetContinuum, based in Santa Clara, Calif. "This is the way it should be done. You have to be able to hide these names." Both the network and Web firewalls can now run in passive mode on a per-rule basis. This feature lets administrators set up a security rule on a given application and log the results of... articles - General Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:13:48 +0100