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The article provides information on the security features of the operating system Windows Vista, from Microsoft Corp. The security features of the operating system include strengthened firewall, improved anti-spyware guarantees, Bitlocker encryption drive. These new security features would be more beneficial for the customers rather than the corporations. Data can be protected from offline attacks from other boots, by configuring the Bitlocker in such a way to need a user-entered PIN. To support Vista, the boot manager and boot images should be separated in the hard drive from the remaining operating system, applications and data files.

This article focuses on how companies looking to avoid the disgrace of losing confidential customer data via a compromise of publicly accessible Web applications should seriously consider deploying a Web application firewall. Although Web application firewalls add layers of complexity and cost to the public network, they provide in-depth and accurate protection for Web applications--isolating problems that traditional firewalls and IPSes (intrusion prevention systems) miss. Web application firewalls provide positive security protection based on compiled profiles of legitimate URLs, fields and buffer lengths. These profiles provide a base line of expected and real application behavior and allow Web application firewalls to be configured to allow only legitimate traffic. The newest Web application firewalls provide improved application learning routines and integration with application scanners. Web application firewall vendors such as Teros Inc. and NetContinuum Inc. already provide compression to back-end servers to improve resource utilization. INSETS: Imperva SecureSphere 3.3;Kavado Defiance TMS 3.1;How to test Web app firewalls;EVALUATION SHORTLIST

With a pressing need for protection of Web applications from attack, Information Technology staff can turn to a new class of specialized firewalls that do a great deal to protect Web servers, Web applications, and connected internal servers and databases from attack. Firewalls reviewed are — Kavado Inc.'s InterDo 3.0, Sanctum Inc.'s AppShield 4.0 and Teros Inc.'s Teros-100 Application Protection System (APS) 2.1.1. All three products go through an Hyper Text Markup Language parsing phase where they learn the form field, application structure and cookie usage for each Web page. Credit-card-blocking features of Teros-100 APS support real-time recognition of American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Japanese Credit Bureau, MasterCard and Visa credit card numbers, and we could use the product to configure a Web application to never be able to transmit a credit card number or limit each Web page to contain a single credit card number. InterDo 3.0 offers less flexibility in its control over arbitrary uniform resource locators because it has no ability to define a site entry point.

The article focuses on the concerns of security in virtual environments. It discusses the different security tools and practices across virtual systems. The article cites the security stress created by the rapid movement of systems inside the data center. It also relates the security policy for applications on physical systems and x68 server virtualization. Maintenance of firewalls, intrusion prevention systems and virtual local area networks (VLANs) that form the connections between physical systems is also addressed.

The article reports that AlterPoint Inc.'s DeviceAuthority Suite 3.5 computer software provides a well-integrated set of tools that leverages the company's knowledge of configuration syntax to let all levels of network operations staff create and distribute reliable configuration files quickly. DeviceAuthority Suite 3.5, available now, automates backup tasks as well as configuration and deployment of multivendor switches, routers, firewalls, virtual private networks and wireless access points. The suite issues reports automatically via e-mail or via a Web interface. As with previous versions of the product, back up configurations and modifications can be made for redeployment. DeviceAuthority Suite 3.5's new script-recording tool should significantly reduce the amount of time. DeviceAuthority Suite 3.5 should enable network administrators to cut operations costs, increase network availability, streamline network change procedures and demonstrate regulatory compliance. DeviceAuthority Suite 3.5 can integrate with a long list of complementary network management tools. INSETS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY;Prep work is key to accurate tests.

The article reports on the effectiveness of Windows XP SP2 computer operating system being developed by Microsoft Corp. The update SP2 plugs longstanding vulnerabilities in Windows services and modifies key applications, such as its Internet Explorer and the system firewall, to make it easier for users and administrators to monitor and control what's happening on Windows XP machines. The improvements in SP2 are compelling enough to recommend the upgrade for all Windows XP systems. Also, Windows Update Version 5, the release of which coincides with SP2, has undergone some nice improvements. In the nearly 300MB across which this service pack stretches, there's plenty of potential for application breakage, particularly with networked and Web-based applications that companies have developed inhouse. It will be important for companies to test SP2 in their environment before fully deploying the update. SP2 brings to light applications developed with lax security. SP2 enforces tighter adherence to the security models within Windows. INSET: What about Windows 2000?.

The term security bulletin is becoming something of a misnomer, as reports of holes and of worms and viruses taking advantage of those holes, are becoming part of the daily information technology routine. It's not enough to be alerted when problems occur; IT managers must find a way to dump problems before they hit the network. Enter IPSes, intrusion prevention systems. IPSes are often built from the same technology base as IDSes, intrusion detection systems, but they differ radically from their forebears. IDS devices sit on a monitor port and simply report problems. IPS devices, in contrast, operate inline, often at wire speed, and are tuned to drop bad traffic from the network. The emerging IPS market, therefore, will have a far reaching and significant impact on firewalls and on patch management and antivirus systems. I PS devices will also blur the line between network and security management as distinct job functions.

The article evaluates several computer firewalls including the Nokia IP740 from Nokia Corp. and the SonicWall GX650 from SonicWall Inc. INSET: Leave security to insiders.

EXCLUSIVE: Sophos is enhancing its synchronized security and management capabilities with the integration of its XG Firewall into Sophos Central. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EXCLUSIVE: The NeuVector 2.3 container firewall platform release provides new admission control capabilities that are directly integrated with the Kubernetes container orchestration platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facebook boosts bug bounty payouts for account takeover flaws, and Alcide advances its cloud-native security firewall platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Israeli cyber-security startup Alcide advances its cloud-native security firewall platform with a new funding. Topics include the amount raised by Alcide in a Series A round of funding, participation of venture capital firm Intel Capital in Alcide's funding, and comments from Alcide's chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder Ranny Nachmias.

The article offers information on the need of automation of information technology industry's infrastructure. The topics addressed include details on the computer service based company, DigitalOcean Inc. which implemented the features comprising private networks, data centers, teams, block storage, tagging, cloud monitoring, and firewalls.

The article offers some relevant information from NetMotion Wireless Inc., an expert on Mobile Operations Intelligence, on how the knowledge on networks can be beneficial for enterprises. Topics including enterprises' insight into public Wi-Fi and cellular networks, troubleshooting employees on third-party networks, and concern over security risk when employees are outside the firewall, are provided.

The article discusses the use of next-generation firewalls (NGFW) as an Internet and computer security software.

The article focuses on the State of the Firewall report by network security management solutions provider FireMon, which reveals that network firewalls are still important part of business enterprise security. Topics mentioned include the insights of Dan Lamorena, chief marketing officer at FireMon, on the increase of firewalls to be managed every year, the investment in firewall technologies, and the challenges in firewall management.

The article discusses the results of a study by NSS Labs Inc. on next-generation firewalls which revealed that most firewalls are resistant to common evasion techniques, highlighting the views of NSS chief technology officer Jason Brvenik on the issue.

The article discusses the 2018 NGFW Group Test report by NSS Labs Inc. which revealed that most next-generation firewalls are resistant to common evasion techniques, highlighting a video interview with NSS chief technology officer Jason Brvenik.

The article reports on the expansion of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's (HPE) GreenLake Cloud Platform and Aruba business platform as of 2018. Topics include the company's hybrid cloud-as-a-service offering featuring an automated operating model for running workloads, its Branch Gateway device that includes Aruba's context-awareness capabilities for improved application security and network access and the additional firewalls and routers of Aruba to help reduce operational costs.

The article discusses the Barracuda Networks which has announced its cloud-delivered Web Application Firewall (WAF) service on May 16, 2018 that provides organizations with a new approach to managing and deploying application security.

The article focuses on warning of increasing Russian infrastructure attacks, and Microsoft Windows Defender fighting phishing on Google Chrome for the U.S. and Great Britain governments. It mentions targets are infrastructure devices at all levels, including routers, switches, firewalls and network intrusion detection systems. It also mentions Windows Defender Browser Protection extension for Google Chrome monitors web pages to help users avoid phishing schemes.

The article focuses on joint statement from the U.S. and Great Britain on a Technical Alert to warn users of an ongoing campaign by Russian state-sponsored hackers to target network infrastructure. It mentions Russian attacks are infrastructure devices at all levels, including routers, switches, firewalls, network intrusion detection systems and other devices supporting network operations. It also mentions steps for device manufacturers and Internet Service Providers (ISP) mitigations.

The article focuses on secrets about using firewalls in enterprise security and unauthorized access while permitting outward communication. It mentions study from Sophos on updating the state of firewalls in the world with the lot of chief information security officers and lack of visibility creates significant security challenges and impacts effective network management. It also mentions factors such as the increasing use of encryption, browser emulation and evasion techniques.

The author discusses the significance of the launch of the Orbit IoT Security Service by Cloudflare for protecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices from cyberattacks using a Web application firewall. He asserts that services such as Cloudflare Orbit will not ensure the security of IoT devices due to the large number of consumers who know nothing about security and of companies that do not manage their devices as part of the corporate information technology infrastructure.

This section offers news briefs on technology as of April 4, 2017. It includes the launch of the Azure Web Application Firewall by technology giant Microsoft, the release of an update by VMware that fixes security vulnerabilities, and the increase in the use of new techniques and malware by computer hackers.

The article reports on the release of the Azure Web Application Firewall from technology company Microsoft Corp. to allow customers to deflect cyber-attacks aimed at application hosted on Microsoft's cloud. Topics mentioned include the number of websites per gateway that can be protected by the firewall, percentage of web application attacks from SQL injection, and other common attack methods that can be stopped by the firewall.

The article reports on the addition of the new Firepower 2100 Series to the Next Generation Firewall product portfolio of Cisco. Topics include new capabilities for security management with four different models of the Firepower Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) technology including the Firepower 2100, Firepower 2110 and the Firepower Management Center (FMC). Also mentioned are the Cisco Device Manager technology, Cloud Defense Orchestrator and Security Information and Event Manager (SIEM).

The article offes information on Arctic Wolf Networks survey that offers insights into how mid-market business enterprises think of security and what they actually do to enforce information technology security. The most commonly used security controls in the surveyed mid-market organization is a firewall and Detection/Prevention System.

The article offers information on the Herculon SSL Orchestrator, DDoS Hybrid Defender, and new Silverline Web Application Firewall Express Service, from F5 Networks Inc.

The article reports that security alerts for enterprises have reached an overwhelming number due to the increase in security incidents, according to the McAfee Labs Threats Report released by computer security company Intel Security for December 2016. Topics covered include the continued increase of ransomware, the tendency for many security managers to feel overwhelmed by security alerts, and the majority of respondents using firewall logs as the top data source for detecting threats.

The article reports that according to Internet Services Providers Association (ISPA), Internet Service Provider (ISP) think government surveillance will lower networks security and poses Cyber-security threats in Great Britain. It states that denial-of-service attacks and SQL injection attacks are cyber-threats ISPs face. It mentions that providers used firewalls, employed defensive technologies such as port blocking, anti-spam technology and present views of ISPA spokesman Andrew Kernahan.

The article discusses comments from Kris Hagerman, chief executive officer (CEO) at security vendor Sophos Group, regarding challenges and opportunities of being a publicly traded security company in 2016. Topics discussed include its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in 2015, no change in the demand environment for cyber-security with Brexit and XG series of Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) appliances from the firm.

The article offers tips for information technology organizations for the prevention of and recovery from ransomware attacks. Topics covered include the importance of a multi-faceted security plan, installation of firewalls with intrusion-prevention or intrusion-detection system, employee training about potential security threats and deployment of backup/recovery process.

The article features the SonicWALL Network Security Appliance (NSA) series of next-generation firewalls (NGFW) from computer technology firm Dell.

The article reports that has discovered multiple security issues in ScreenOS network security operating system which includes risk to backdoor access code and mentions the efforts taken by the company to patch the risks. Topics include recommendation of the company to its customer for updating the system and applying patch releases, Secure Shell (SSH) bug in ScreenOS which allows to conduct denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and SRX firewalls to avoid the risks.

The article reports that the anti-malware software provider Trend Micro has integrated with cloud security management platform of the technology firm Microsoft. Topics discussed include managing of Deep Security software of Trend Micro by Microsoft's Azure Security Center dashboards, enabling administrators to configure virtual machine firewalls and apply anti-malware protection and views of Trend Micro's Senior Vice President (SVP) Bill McGee on protecting workloads from malware.

The article focuses on the issue of Symantec's Mobile Security Suite 5.0. Generally, the Mobile Security Suite 5.0 has a combination of security features for applications based on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0. It also has a wide array of applications such as building the Symantec's core of device-based anti-virus and firewall features. The new on-device folder encryption, device lock, and other features are also included. However, the author notes that its policy management seems to have inadequate features, in which, there are some tools and different applications that make the product confusing.

The article focuses on the two techniques for providing host intrusion prevention system (HIPS) that complement to the strategies of business enterprises. These practical methods include vulnerability inspection and application and process vetting. Vulnerability inspection is performed to explore the problem of diminished patch window and it uses the specific points of a vulnerability to find exploit code. On the other hand, the application and process vetting technique is designed to ensure that all processes and applications run on a workstation.

The article provides information on the security features of the operating system Windows Vista, from Microsoft Corp. The security features of the operating system include strengthened firewall, improved anti-spyware guarantees, Bitlocker encryption drive. These new security features would be more beneficial for the customers rather than the corporations. Data can be protected from offline attacks from other boots, by configuring the Bitlocker in such a way to need a user-entered PIN. To support Vista, the boot manager and boot images should be separated in the hard drive from the remaining operating system, applications and data files.

The article focuses on the launch of the multifunction application control engine module designed by Cisco Systems Inc. This switch uses a 250 virtual partitions to help streamline the workflow involved in setting up security policies, ensure server and network capacity and provides the application with appropriate routing information. The said module integrates load balancing, secure sockets layer encryption, a firewall, network address translation and protocol optimization. Virtual partitions allow each group to manage its domain and coordinate through a single device rather than multiple teams sending electronic mails.

This article describes the information technology security infrastructure of Spokane Valley, Washington-based international materials manufacturer Pyrotek. Symantec Corp. provides the security products including antivirus filters and firewalls with the assistance of systems integrator Advanced Internet Security. The challenge was to bring together disparate IT systems. The Symantec Enterprise Security Architecture lets users collect security data from other Symantec products.

This article evaluates Symantec's Gateway Security 1660, a computer security peripheral with firewall, virtual private network, and intrusion detection system capabilities.

The article focuses on the eTrust Integrated Threat Management (ITM) r8 solution developed by Computer Associates Inc. eTrust ITM r8 offers completely Web-based management, both for the central administration console and for individual client agents. eTrust ITM r8 includes both anti-virus and anti-spyware engines plus an overall agent structure itself which the user can create and apply several policies to gain full protection. Computer Associates offers solid protection, new Web-based consoles, and integrated reporting, updating and alerting from computer viruses.

The article presents information on a new computer security system of Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania. The security system used earlier was no longer meeting the increasing security demands of his various constituencies and began looking for alternative firewall solutions. There was a need for a solution that would give it more flexibility, a wider variety of security features and the ability to scale as the network grew. Moreover, the solution needed to integrate smoothly into the existing Nortel network and the installed solutions. The firewall that was used earlier has a basic firewall function that did port filtering. The university needed the same services with the new firewall, but there were certain other services it wanted to see such as anti-virus, intrusion detection and intrusion prevention, and VPN. The university has to take into account not only the computing needs of students and faculty but also the needs of the Widener Information Network Services, or WINS, the university's community ISP program.

The article focuses on issues concerning the fight against spyware. Early adopters of anti-spyware products focused primarily on a product's ability to identify and clean spyware on the desktop. But, now it is required that administrators must be proactive-emphasizing new practices or technologies that prevent malware threats before installation. Anti-spyware vendors are trying hard to cope with and compensate for new technologies that make malware harder to identify and eradicate. The latest malware instances may use root kits to hide their presence, self-healing mechanisms to spontaneously regenerate when threatened and active processes that try to disable resident security programs. Because signature-based scanning and cleaning is a reactive process, any anti-spyware program under test is unlikely to be able to identify and clean each malware instance in an enterprise network. Administrators need to examine methods of keeping spyware off the desktop in the first place. There are several organizations that are successfully avoiding malware by restricting users' privileges on the local system.

The article reports that Cenzic Inc.'s Hailstorm 2.6 provides exceptional Web application penetration testing capabilities in a highly automated, easy-to-use product that masks a lot of complexity under the hood, earning the product an eWeek Labs Analyst's Choice award. With Version 2.6 of Hailstorm, which was released in July 2005, companies can more effectively secure mission-critical Web applications for regulatory compliance and test the mettle of existing defenses, such as Web application firewalls. To identify possible vulnerabilities in Web applications, Hailstorm leverages the Mozilla platform to throw real browser-based traffic at an application. Hailstorm pricing is based on the number of applications that need to be secured. Hailstorm pricing is in line with that of competing application scanners, such as AppScan Audit from Watchfire Corp. Organizations that prefer to hire a third party to perform application security audits should consider Cenzic's ClickToSecure penetration-testing service.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) worked to repair defaults in its information systems last year, but ongoing weaknesses dogged the agency's networks, most notably in managing information technology (IT) security. According to a July audit letter from KPMG LLP released last week, the DHS did not correct vulnerabilities in access controls and systems software that had been identified previously, limiting its ability to ensure that data is maintained with confidentiality, integrity and availability. The audit focused on the agency's financial reporting and the weaknesses found had a negative impact on the financial internal controls, in particular. One of the most significant problems was found with access control inside the department's firewalls. KPMG also found that many user accounts were not configured for automatic logoff or lockout and that some workstations and servers were configured without necessary security patches. Last year, the DHS took several steps to correct IT security weaknesses, such as completing agency-wide training and awareness sessions and moving to consolidate IT functions throughout the department.

This article focuses on memory-intensive applications. The 64-bit versions of windows XP professional and windows server 2003, when combined with systems based on Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s x86-compatible 64-bit chips (or work-alike variants from Intel Corp.), let organizations boost the performance of memory-intensive applications without giving up 32-bit cold turkey. Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer ships with both 32-bit and 64-bit on Windows x64, and each has its own versions of various libraries that need to be kept straight. Management can be problematic because, although AMD's architecture allows for native execution of 32-bit applications, Windows x64 won't brook mixing 32-bit and 64-bit code. This is why code that runs in kernel mode, such as that used for hardware drivers or firewall anti-virus applications, must be ported to work with Windows x64's 64-bit kernel. On a superficial level, Microsoft's two new operating system editions are essentially identical to their 32-bit siblings. INSETS: Migration has its rough spots;64-bit club getting crowded.

This article informs that Cisco Systems Inc. hopes to make inroads in security with its new multifunction appliance. The new family of appliances combines Cisco's VPN, firewall and intrusion prevention system technology, along with maliciouscode- detection features, in a single box. Officials of Cisco, which is based in San Jose, California, said the new hardware will help small and midsize enterprises manage security more easily and inexpensively. With the ASA 5500 Series appliance, Cisco is squaring of against an array of competitors, including chief rival Juniper Networks Inc., in Sunnyvale, California, in the price-sensitive small- and midsize-enterprise market. The new line of appliances combines the functions of Cisco's PIX firewall, IPS 4200 Series sensor and VPN 3000 concentrator and offers Secure Sockets Layer and IP Security VPN services. Cisco Anti-X defenses provide intrusion prevention features, as well as anti-virus, anti-spyware and denial of service protection. But Cisco is playing catchup in an area already crowded with similar offerings from companies such as Juniper, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., Fortinet Inc. and others.

The article presents information on remote control computer software packages. With work rarely stopping after an employee leaves the office, remote control applications have become a necessity at many organizations. Web-based remote control applications are often easier for users to navigate than virtual network computing or secure sockets layer virtual private networks. Remote control applications are also more flexible, allowing Information Technology (IT) managers to add new users easily without having to write one policy for full-time employees and another for contract workers or business partners. Citrix Systems Inc.'s Citrix GoToMyPC Corporate 4.1 enhances the administration center used by IT managers and extends security by allowing administrators to terminate unapproved connections at the firewall and by adding multiple layers of administration to manage users in specific groups. GoToMyPC Corporate 4.1's price is based on the number of host personal computers supported. A GoToMyPC Corporate 4.1 account starts at approximately 200 dollars per month for an annual 10-computer plan. INSETS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY;EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.