An average network security breach can cost a company between $90 and $305 per lost record, according to a new study from Forrester Research. By monitoring your network, you can significantly reduce operating expenses and improve overall company productivity.
Are you prepared to suffer those losses? Could your business survive a network attack that could shut down your entire operation for several days? A recent survey by McAfee revealed that 26% of businesses require an entire week to get their company back up and running smoothly after a cyber attack. Can your business afford a 7-day vacation? The loss of revenue, resources and productivity associated with an attack may just be enough to put your company in the red and in today’s economy, not many businesses can suffer any more losses.
Network security solutions work to help you prevent, detect and solve security threats 24/7 – around the clock, all year long. They can:
- Detect and solve network security problems
- Help you leverage investments in security
- Free up time for IT staff
- Secure laptop computers outside the office
- Generate security reports on demand
To deal with network security threats effectively, IT administrators need immediate access to just the right data and problem-solving advice. The more you know your network, the more you can guarantee uptime and optimal performance. With network security solutions, you can defend and regain control of your applications, minimizing the loss of money and productivity.
Network security solutions can monitor every computer in your network, looking for malware and threats, missing critical updates and patches, suspicious traffic and non-compliance with best practices. The instant it detects a problem, it gives you personal, step-by-step advice on how to solve it.
Network security provides a complete solution for detecting and eliminating vulnerabilities, including the following areas:
Unapproved Software: Ensures that all software applications installed on your computer networks are approved by your company’s security policy.
Suspicious Traffic: Detects abnormal traffic on your network that could indicate an attempt to access or manipulate your computers.
Intrusion Vulnerability: Identifies open ports or other undesired access points that could put your network at risk of intrusion.
Malware Protection: Protects your network with antivirus and other network security software; ensures installation, updates and proper function on all networks.
Updates & Patches: Assures all critical security updates and patches are installed, with Microsoft’s minimum protection.
Security Practices: Ensures all your computers are configured and used in accordance with best practices for network security.
Network Security Agents: Monitors your network security status and lets you know how to solve any problems it detects.
Virtual Security Assistant: Provides 24/7 security for your entire network at a fraction of the cost of human domain experts.
By: Dennis Thomsen
Archive for January, 2010
Midwest Palliative and Hospice Carecenter Entrusts Network Security to Avg Anti-virus
January 23rd, 2010CLAREMONT, NC –JUNE 18th, 2008—Paul Slager is Network Administrator for the Midwest Palliative and Hospice CareCenter, a nonprofit healthcare organization focusing on hospice and palliative care located in Glenview, Illinois. Slager has managed the organization’s 500 workstations and 30-plus Microsoft servers since early 2006.
As a healthcare organization, patient record confidentiality is essential to remain in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, so network security is a top priority for Slager.
“A key factor for me is that there is no tradeoff of usability for security,” Slager said. “I have to make sure that our users have access to all their applications and devices in a secure manner without the security getting in the way of their productivity. And of course I also have to make sure we keep out viruses and maintain perimeter security.”
When Slager arrived on the scene, the hospice care center was using Symantec as its primary security solution. However, he quickly became frustrated with the load the system was placing on users’ workstations and the relatively weak management functions.
“The main factors in our decision to seek an alternative solution were the shortcomings of the management functions,” Slager said. “We also couldn’t help noticing that Symantec was taking up a lot of processing power on each user’s computer.”
So, high on Slager’s wishlist were ease of management, small footprint on client systems, and of course a good track record in keeping sensitive files secure and malware out.
AVG Anti-Virus: The Right Solution
“I’d heard from several sources that AVG Anti-Virus software was a solution worth looking at, and so it was one of the first alternative solutions I tested to see if it would fit our needs,” Slager said. “I focused heavily on the administrative console because that was one of the most important factors for me. With more than 500 workstations, it is imperative that I have a way to make sure each computer is secure without having to physically visit each one on campus.”
After ensuring that AVG’s management functionality and protection would meet the organization’s requirements, the low price point was what sealed the deal. MidWest’s IT director, responsible for sourcing and purchasing, quickly found Walling Data Systems and their non-profit discount program.
Walling Data Systems is the country’s longest-standing distributor of AVG Technologies solutions and the company’s highest-volume distributor in North America. Walling specializes in the education and nonprofit sectors, and is the only distributor to offer all customers free, unlimited, U.S.-based support as part of every sale.
Slager said that, as with any new solution, there were a few teething problems, so he called the support team at Walling Data for advice.
“There were a few aspects of the software that I wasn’t quite sure how to configure,” Slager remembered. “So I called Walling’s helpdesk team, who remotely connected to our server so we could easily discuss what to do. It was simple and easy, and I was able to get the system up and running in no time.”
What Slager loves most about AVG is that it basically manages itself. With the benefit of this “hands free” system administration, he has more time to spend on productive IT pursuits, rather than problem-solving.
“AVG has been great, and very easy to manage,” Slager said. “I would definitely recommend it, and Walling Data to others”
About Walling Data Systems
Founded in 1994, in North Carolina, Walling Data Systems is a value-added software distributor offering innovative high-value solutions to everyday computer security problems for corporate, education, and home technology users. Walling Data was named an Authorized AVG Distributor in 2004 and is the only source for unlimited toll free phone, remote support, education discounts, and more for their AVG customers in the United States, one reason why thousands of education customers choose Walling as their supplier of choice for AVG products.
About AVG
Founded in 1991 in the Czech Republic and with offices in the US and Europe, AVG is a leading international developer of Internet threat protection solutions for consumers and SMBs. AVG is one of the fastest growing companies in the industry with more than 70 million active users around the world. The company employs some of the world’s leading experts in Internet security, specifically in the areas of threat research, analysis and detection. AVG’s award-winning products are distributed globally through resellers and over the Internet as well as via third parties through Software Developer’s Kits (SDK).
Media Contacts:
Ashlie Lanning 919-557-7890 alanning@wallingdatasystems.com
Luke Walling 828-459-5422 x225 luke@wallingdatasystems.com
By: Ashlie Lanning
Nsauditor – network security scanner and auditor
January 23rd, 2010July 29, 2006 (Nsasoft) — Major new features of Nsauditor Version 1.3.7 include firewall system that allows to stop internet threats and block unwanted network connections. With Nsauditor Network Security Auditor, Systems Administrators are able to gather a wide range of information from all the computers in the network without installing server-side applications on these computers. It is a multi-purpose tool designed to scan networks and hosts for vulnerabilities, and to provide security alerts. Nsauditor Network Security Auditor significantly reduces the total cost of network management in enterprise environments by enabling IT personnel to audit and monitor remote network computers for possible vulnerabilities. The software network auditor module checks network for all potential methods that a hacker might use to attack it, discovers network services and checks them for vulnerabilities. Nsauditor is a complete networking utilities package ( more than 45 network tools in one ) that includes a wide range of tools for network auditing, scanning and monitoring. The product contains a built-in database of known network security vulnerabilities, which allows you to select the items for scanning and add custom entries. Nsauditor can discover NetBios names, audit MS SQL servers, scan for common Adware traces, discover services, devices, processes, installed applications, disks, shared resources, hardware resources, users, local groups and much more. Nsauditor Network Security Auditor has a centralized network monitoring interface, which allows to monitor the entire network from a single computer. Nsauditor Network Monitoring module shows you detailed listings of all TCP and UDP endpoints on your system, including the owning process name, remote address and state of TCP connections, country of origin and service name/description. When you start Nsauditor it will enumerate all active TCP and UDP endpoints, resolving all IP addresses to their domain name versions. You can close established TCP/IP connections by right-clicking on a connection and/or request IP address whois information or trace route. Nsauditor “Adware Scanner” tool scans network computers for common Adware traces. Adware Scanner searches system registry and gives you a quick look at the Adware, malware and spyware installed on your computer or in the range of network computers. Using colored icons Adware Scanner shows harmful objects.
Removable devices create additional challenges for network security protection. Portable storage devices can be used both to download confidential data as well as to introduce a virus into the company network. Nsauditor Network Security Auditor “Removable Explorer” tool gives IT staff more control over unauthorized and dangerous removable devices ( USB device, CD-Rom and DVD ) by allowing them to scan the network for all removable devices that are connected to any one of the network computers. Removable Explorer displays remote network computer USB devices, CD-Rom, DVD drive or other removable storage device information and state, drive type, first and last plug in time, serial number, revision, device name, device vendor and more. Nsauditor performs event log based intrusion detection, monitors the security event logs of Windows 2000/XP/2003 servers or workstations and notifies of the possible intrusions/attacks by using E-mail, Net Send, Speech Recognition method or by playing user selected voice file. In summary, Nsauditor Network Security Auditor is a very complete network tools package for a surprisingly low price.
By: Varuzhan Kankanyan
Wireless Networking and Security
January 21st, 2010Although Wireless Networking has great benefits, which are undoubtedly, there are also some drawbacks, which should be considered. Drawbacks such as Electromagnetic interferences, a slower transfer speed then wired Networks and diverse security concerns. This paper will focus on Wireless Networks and the security concern that we have or should have when implementing such technology.
As a general note there are two types of wireless computer networks.
1) Ad hoc network is established when wireless communication exist directly from computer to computer.
2) Infrastructure Networks are distinguished by the use of an access point. Every communication in a Infrastructure Network goes over a access point.
The good news is Wireless Access Points have a security feature which is called WEP.
It uses an encryption algorithm named RC4. This is a symmetric stream cipher and it can
use two types of encryption keys. 64 Bit and 128 Bit. The WEP encryption serves two main purposes authentication and data encryption. With out data encryption everything transmitted from a computer and everything received would be transmitted in clear text. This means that while data is traveling from one point to the next over a radio wave frequency, it can easily be intercepted and viewed by an unknown third party. Without WEP there is also no authentication for who logs on to the wireless computer or Network, allowing anyone in near distance who can receive the wireless signal to utilize the wireless network for his/her own purpose. » Read more: Wireless Networking and Security
