Technology Trends
Integrated Security Solutions: These days, almost every security vendor claims to offer an integrated security solution. These solutions are a combination of hardware and software platforms which offer a security management solution to take care of the entire gamut of network security. They handle point security problems (like worms or intrusions) and a variety of network and application-layer security challenges too.

l Integrated Security Appliances: Companies like NetScreen Technologies are delivering integrated network security appliances by integrating various elements like firewalls, IDS, DOS, VPN, and QoS in one box. Networking vendors like Cisco Systems are integrating security modules into their standard networking products. Having security measures embedded directly into the network elements ensures a certain degree of inherent protection. Vendors like Avaya are addressing the security needs of converged voice and data networks. They are delivering converged security, as an integrated component of their multi-service networks. Then there are a number of semi-conductor vendors, offering high-performance security processors capable of handling multi-gigabit streams.

Network operators and equipment vendors can choose from simple security accelerators used with external packet processors to fully integrated devices with clear traffic on one side and encrypted traffic on the other.

l ASIC-based Appliances: Current trends indicate a moving away from software-based security products to ASIC-based appliances. This is similar to the path routers have taken in the last decade.

l SSL-VPN: There is now a greater awareness of encryption on the wire, in the form of SSL and IP-VPNs, because the people are increasingly more aware of the security risks in transmitting data over the wire in clear text. To address this concern, end users and IT departments alike have been switching over to SSL-VPN.

l 802.11i Wireless Security Standard: With increasing use of wireless networks—open networks like hotspots and closed networks like corporate networks-security has become a big concern. The new 802.11i standard has addressed most of the security concerns that the experts had pointed out in 802.11a and 802.11b.

l Trusted Computing Platform Alliance Standard: This standard is supported by companies such as IBM, HP, AMD, Intel, and Microsoft. It blocks unsafe, misconfigured, and insecure applications from being run. An underlying hardware resource allows the running of only those applications that are tested and digitally signed by a trusted vendor. This simple standard can deal with most of the viruses, worms, and malware.

l Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems: An intrusion prevention system (IPS) combines the best features of firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS). It provides a tool that can change the configuration of network access control points according to the rapidly changing threat profile of the network. IPS introduces an element of intelligence into network security systems by adapting to new attacks and intrusion attempts. Intrusion prevention has received a lot of interest in the user community. While the interest has remained high, there are many concerns over this technology.

• Will it be accurate or will it also block legitimate traffic?

• Will it allow a user to block selectively?

• Can a user start with detection and then graduate to prevention?

• Does it cost more to have intrusion prevention, as compared to intrusion detection?

Most enterprises customize their use of the intrusion prevention technology. Some move on to blocking just within weeks and rapidly expand their blocking. Others start slowly and expand even more slowly. The key is to reliably detect and stop the known and unknown attacks realtime.