Integrated Network Security
The prospect of finding the right mix of products along with management of those products can be a daunting if not an impossible task for anyone to undertake. It is the goal of Centipede Networks to give network administrators information on how to implement an integrated network security system.
The Internet's recreational presence has increasingly become more pervasive in the business environment, which has led more corporations to seek efficient and effective means to manage employees' Internet usage. Decreased productivity in the workplace is a common problem. As the Internet continues to grow, productivity in the workplace continues to drop. In addition to all of the concerns businesses have with securing systems and network access, the educational sector is in need of solutions to control website access for students and become CIPA compliant. According to the Safe America Foundation: "53 percent of teens have encountered offensive websites with content involving pornography, hate, or violence. Of these teens, 91 percent unintentionally found the offensive site while searching the Internet." According to Net Value: "27.5 percent of the population aged 17 and under in the United States visited an adult website." This trend has created the need for Internet security in our educational system.
Hackers are typically one of the biggest concerns of network administrators. A hacker is defined as a person who thrives on the challenge of invading a network. After breaking into a network, hackers can do anything from stealing or deleting data to altering programs and identities. How can a network administrator battle something of this magnitude? Intrusion detection of hackers is always a concern of organizations worldwide. The types of attacks on networks can vary. All attacks have profound effects not only on invaluable data and systems but also on the productivity of employees and legal liability issues. Attacks come in many forms and from many sources. Network invasion can cost a company thousands, if not millions of dollars.
Email spam issues are a never-ending battle for organizations today. According to Nucleus Research: "Companies receive about 7500 spam messages per year per employee. Spam is estimated to cost organizations $1934 per employee per year and increase lost productivity by 3.1 percent." This figure does not factor losses attributed to IT personnel time, software, CPU hardware and bandwidth expenses. The estimate also does not account for virus attacks and legal liability that can be attributed to spam. Spam continues to be a growing problem. Network administrators worldwide are working to solve this problem for the organizations they serve. Anti-spam legislation is not enough and will not stop the onslaught. Effective spam filtering is the only solution to deter and solve the problem.
Virus attacks on network security are growing. The spread of viruses through email is compromising networks worldwide. According to the Hurwitz Group: "Traditional anti-virus software allows viruses through to one in ten end users." This statistic supports the need for additional security measures to be put in place. Virus attacks will not stop, however, a layered security approach can help prevent attacks from infecting networks.
One of the missing components to today's networks is information. Network administrators cannot track problems because proper and relevant reporting has not been available. Proper reporting can also help find security holes and help identify problems before they bring a network down. Accurate reports will not only analyze traffic but also give network administrators information to guard against online abuse. Information is power, and a good reporting tool gives network administrators the power needed to control network security.
Centipede Networks offers integrated solutions, making the job of the network administrator possible.
