One of the reasons why it is necessary to make sure that your network is fully secured is to ensure that it cannot be hacked or any of your information passed on to third parties; this is primarily because extremely important information will invariably be passed from one computer to another computer, within the network during a working day. If the network is not secure at the logical as well as the physical level, one is definitely not going to know that important information is being funneled through channels up on the Internet to possibly your rivals as well as your competition.

That is the reason a good network security company is going to make sure that every single security tool and other necessary features, such as firewalls, are in place. Fundamentally, the primary reason for doing all of this is quite simply to protect your hardware as well as the data to the best of your ability. The way in which this is carried out, including the methods and tools is all very much dependent on the network that you have and what your business requirements are.

An unsecured network on which internal management as well as external penetration and hacking tests have not been done are definitely a security hazard for any company out there. That is the reason why a company’s key assets need to be protected in the strictest manner possible.

One of the most biggest risks about having an unsecured network is that the moment you go online on an http:// (including intranet) connection, there is a chance of every sort of vital information being transferred from your computer. In the same manner important information can be downloaded straight from your different hard drives, just because some other computer has managed to bypass your security measures. That is one of the more risky aspects of working on a computer on an unsecured network.

If your company has a number of computers that are connected to each other through a faulty and unsecured network, it isn’t every single business transaction between them easily accessed by anybody connected to that is at risk from hacking. Private information including credit card information and any other data, which you may have stored in your computer system is also obtainable to unscrupulous information thieves and hackers out there if given the opportunity. That is the reason why it is necessary to look for a company which can give you exceptional security measures including extremely efficient firewalls so that there is absolutely no question of any sort of information being transferred to computers outside the network.

If you find yourself upon an unsecured network, you should be particularly wary when exchanging any personal information and sending anything online. In the same manner, it is always a good strategy to make sure that you disconnect the link when you are not using it, especially when you do not know whether the network is secure or not. This goes a long way in keeping your computer and network safe from unwanted access from external parties.




By: Derek Rogers

Network security is vitally important for most business systems. Whilst email viruses and denial-of-service attacks (DoS attack) may cause us headaches on our home systems, for businesses, these sorts of attacks can cripple a network for days – costing businesses hundreds of millions each year in lost revenue.

Keeping a network secure to prevent this type of malicious attack is usually of paramount importance for network administrators, and while most invest heavily in some forms of security measures there is often vulnerabilities inadvertently left exposed.

Firewalls are the best place to begin when you are trying to develop a secure network. A firewall can be implemented in either hardware or software, or most commonly a combination of both. Firewalls are used to prevent unauthorized users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially local intranets. All traffic entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified criteria.



Anti-virus software works in two ways. Firstly it acts similarly to a firewall by blocking anything that is identified in its database as possibly malicious (viruses, Trojans, spyware etc). Secondly Anti-virus software is used to detect, and remove existing malware on a network or workstation.

One of the most over-looked aspects of network security is time synchronization. Network administrators either fail to realise the importance of synchronization between all devices on a network. Failing to synchronize a network is often a common security issue. Not only can malicious users take advantage of computers running at different times but if a network is struck by an attack, identifying and rectifying the problem can be near impossible if every device is running on a different time.

Even when a network administrator is aware of the importance of time synchronization they often make a common security mistake when attempting to synchronize their network. Instead of investing in a dedicated time server that receives a secure source of UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) externally from their network using atomic clock sources like GPS, some network administrators opt to use a shortcut and use a source of Internet time.

There are two major security issues in using the Internet as a time server. Firstly, to allow the time code through the network a UDP port (123) has to be left open in the firewall. This can be taken advantage of by malicious users who can use this open port as an entrance to the network. Secondly, the inbuilt security measure used by the time protocol NTP, known as authentication, doesn’t work across the Internet which means that NTP has no guarantee the time signal is coming from where it is supposed to.

To ensure your network is secure isn’t it time you invested in an external dedicated NTP time server?




By: Richard n Williams

Attend Procurve’s Presentation “Successfully Playing the Network Security Game” at the 2008 Government & Health Technologies Conference and Expo

2008 – Toronto, Canada – ProCurve Networking by HP will deliver a presentation on “Successfully Playing the Network Security Game: Combining the Offense and the Defense” at the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo.

Building a secure network is no game to consider lightly. The age of innocence is over. Technologies, as well as those using them, have become more savvy, more intricate and at times, more dangerous. Enterprise networks, which act as the gateway and hotbed for both intentional and unintentional harm, are increasingly vulnerable. Downtime is no longer an inconvenience, but a costly and debilitating specter.

One successful strategy for building a secure network is to play both the security offense and security defense at the same time by combining the offense and defense into a single coordinated security strategy.

This session will offer direction for playing and winning against the complexities of secure network operations. It will identify trends in secure technologies that will enhance your network with the utmost protection in today’s business and technology environment.

To register for Early-Bird Passes please visit http://gov.wowgao.com/registration OR call (416) 292-0038 Ext. 812.

About ProCurve Networking by HP

The ProCurve Networking business unit of HP delivers wired and wireless enterprise networking products, services and solutions. The foundation for ProCurve’s business model is the Adaptive Networks strategy in which networks are adaptive to users, applications and an organization’s needs.

About the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference & Expo:

The 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo will focus on the latest IT products and solutions being developed and sought after in the healthcare and public service sector, including Web 2.0, Patient Monitoring Systems, Document Management, Business Intelligence, Mobile Data Systems, RFID Solutions, Biometrics and much more.

As one of Canada’s leading annual IT conference and exposition, the event features ground breaking IT applications that aim to educate key IT professionals, Government officials, developers, architects, engineers and medical professionals with the necessary tools and techniques for the reliable, effective management of all public information services across Canada. For more information about the event, please visit http://gov.wowgao.com

About WowGao Inc.

WowGao Inc. is an award winning leading event management company that produces, since 2003, internationally renowned conferences and expositions that address the latest innovations and developments in the information technology industry. Our featured events include:

Government & Health Technologies Conference and Expo, April 15 & 16, 2008

Wireless & Mobile Expo and Conference, July 15 & 16, 2008

RFID Forum, July 15 & 16, 2008

Financial Services Technology Forum, October 2008

For more information about the events, please visit http://www.wowgao.com/

For conference inquiries:

Conference Producer

(416) 292 – 0038 ext. 840 | conference@wowgao.com

WowGao Inc. | www.wowgao.com




By: WowGao Inc.

The online world has grown in leaps and bounds in the last few years. This provides the public with some amazing resources – the ability to access information with the touch of a finger, the ability to communicate via fast and inexpensive methods, and more functionality and ease of use are being introduced every day. Unfortunately, as with all good things, there is also a dark side.

While there are plenty of people who use the internet and computers responsibly and honestly, there are predators and hackers out there who spoil the fun for everyone if their dirty deeds go unchecked. There are a lot of ways for these people to compromise your computer and your network. Below we will review just a few of the ways that your network can be compromised.

Two destructive network breaches fall under a category known as “destructive behavior.” One involves the complete obliteration of data within your network. It is called “data destruction” and it is just what it sounds like. It happens when someone breaches your network and deletes data. If your network is business-related, this can be devastating. Experts say that it is no less destructive than a fire that destroys your computer equipment.

Some perpetrators have more than simple destruction in mind. They do something called “data diddling” which means that they alter the data in your system. They might change data in spreadsheets or other documents, or they might tamper with your accounting system. Some examples of things that have really happened involve the accounting system specifically. “Hackers” have broken into a network, accessed the accounting system, and changed the account numbers on direct deposit paychecks to go into their own accounts. Thefts like this take some time to track down – first the employee has to not get paid, investigations have to be made, and someone has to think to double-check the direct deposit account information. In some cases, companies have cut new paper checks and it has taken months to retrieve the lost funds.

Another way in which networks are vulnerable is in the realm of confidentiality. A lot of times, companies possess information that, if shared with a competitor, could be very bad for business. In this case, predators are not looking to alter or destroy data, they are merely trying to find out information they’re not supposed to know. If someone were to find out financial performance information before a public release of said information it could affect the stock negatively. If a company is planning to roll out a new product and someone gets that information and gives it to a competitor, or leaks the information to the public, it could hurt the company’s sales. Even more frightening is the possibility of someone breaking in to view confidential employee-related data – like home addresses, social security numbers, and bank account information.

All of these network attacks happen because outside users are able to gain unauthorized access to a network. To access information, change data, or delete data, the attacker gains access to a network and is able to execute illicit commands – either at the normal user level or at the administrator level. Both are bad, but luckily both can be avoided if you take these threats seriously and develop sound policies regarding your network security .




By: Jack Labens

A penetration test (in the IT vernacular referred to as a “pen test”) is also known as “ethical hacking”, and this network security tool provides an essential function in vulnerability assessment. By actively seeking out and deploying attacks and penetration efforts against your network, you are more likely to uncover vulnerabilities and be able to take action to block holes in your security and pre-empt attacks on the perimeter defences.

Penetration testing includes both script-based and human-based attacks on the network in order to seek out and exploit vulnerabilities. The difference between this and say, criminal hackers looking to cause mischief or theft of data, is that you control the “attacker”. The “attacker” reports back to you on whether they were successful and if so, how to stop such an attack from being successful in real-life. Penetration testing will reveal network security holes but more than this, it will be able to provide you with a realistic risk assessment including the impact on your business should such an attack succeed. Knowing what such an attack may cost your business will provide you with the ability to quantify the business risk and determine whether you do in fact, need to implement a solution.

“Black Box Testing” involves a penetration test where the attackers have no knowledge of the network infrastructure. They are working from what a real, external hacker would be using – online connectivity and any human intelligence or reliance on human nature, in order to discover vulnerabilities.

“White Box Testing” involves attackers who have full knowledge of the network infrastructure and are seeking out vulnerabilities and scenarios to take advantage of perceived weaknesses.

An intermediate form exists, known as “Grey Box Testing” where some knowledge is provided, known also as “partial disclosure”.

The aim of these differing forms of testing is to compel imaginative ways to hack into the network, compromising network security . While having full knowledge of a system may lead the ethical attacker to use an obvious defect in network security, they may pass over and completely miss a less obvious but more severe vulnerability. Blind or black box testing does not allow for precise testing of certain components of the network because they don’t know how the network is established but, this form of testing does lead to more imaginative attack scenarios being developed and hence, a more realistic prospect of stopping a real attacker with mischief in mind.

Penetration testing should be a regular scheduled activity and performed at least once a year and every time the network infrastructure is added to or changed. Penetration tests are also a serious component of risk audits conducted to determine network operation and integrity. Script-based penetration testing is relatively inexpensive because of the level of automation involved and is eminently suitable for white box testing. Black box testing, on the other hand, is labor intensive because it involves real people emulating real life hackers and such a penetration test will involve more than simply running an online attack against the network, for instance, rummaging through company trash for computer information, and this dramatically increases the cost.




By: Lawrence Reaves