Veritech : Network Technology + Innovation

However, one of the real failings of anti-virus software is that it not only needs to install more programmes onto your disk, by design, it has to slow down your computer!  If an anti-threat system is not scanning your computer continuously, then it’s not really protecting your computer properly!                            

Every file you open needs to be checked.  Every email you receive needs to be scanned.  Every internet download and browse needs to be monitored.  You can be sure that at least one of them has spyware embedded, a Trojan hiding inside, or a nasty virus waiting to jump into your computer’s hard drive!  So, while the anti-threat software is busy scanning stuff, it takes away processor time from all the important things you really need to do on the computer!

The better anti-threat systems have options where you can selectively switch on and off the various types of scanning.  That can help with performance.  But if not configured properly, it will certainly help viruses get through as well!  Now, you could purchase really, really fast computers so that the scanning time is negligible.  But there is a better way.

Gateway Protection

It has been common for larger organisations to focus on deploying very strong anti-threat protection systems at their gateway: the point where the internal network meets the Internet.  This has a number of obvious benefits, seeing as the majority of threats originate from the Internet.  Catching them head on, before they get to your workstations, is cost-effective, scalable and smart.

In more recent times, these gateway devices have lowered in cost, and increased in capabilities, to the point where they are a necessary addition to any small or medium business which has an Internet connection.

Much like workstation-based anti-threat systems, gateway systems have a number of features they can employ.  The more of these features a device includes, the better protection you will have.

Firewall – a firewall simply stops internet traffic coming inbound into your network.  Generally speaking, most traffic which originates from the outside is bad news.  There is some traffic you want, such as inbound mail, and inbound VPNs – but those can be selectively allowed in.  A really good firewall will also allow you to stop outbound traffic (from your network to the Internet)…unless you selectively permit it.  This is ideal for tightening up Trojan spreads, but you will find that most home or small business firewalls will not support this (often called NAT firewalls).

Hardened Operating System – ‘hardened’ means the gateway is not just any-old computer!  Its operating system has been especially designed to withstand the challenges and throughput which are constantly beating at the door of the Internet.

Anti-Virus – catch the virus before it gets into the network.  It’s critical that the anti-virus signatures are updated and maintained automatically – without needing human intervention.  New viruses are emerging every day, and the longer your anti-virus takes to recognise a new virus, the greater the chance of falling victim to it,

Anti-Spam – filter out spam before it gets to your mailbox.  To monitor spam the device needs to tap into the mail traffic, check it thoroughly, and then pass it through to your mail server.  The better anti-spam systems also allow spam learning, quarantine, and other configurable mail handling options.  Just like the anti-virus, it’s critical that the signatures are updated and maintained automatically.

Content Filtering – There is so much objectional content on the Internet.  Much of it is not appropriate for children, social groups, or certain communities.  Some bosses would say that some sites are not appropriate for the person at work (it’s too easy to waste hours on Facebook, or chat….admit it!).  And few could argue that work time is time to work; Internet socialising really should be conducted out of hours.  Content Filtering simplifies the problem: simply stop access to websites and functions which are not related to the workplace.  Sorry Internet Addicts!  The finer the grain of control on content the better a feature this can be.

Remote Access – Virtual Private Networks (or VPNs) are common now as more people work from home and on the road.  VPNs allow staff to access their office files from wherever they are.  You can install purpose built remote access servers, but it makes more sense to integrate this into your gateway device.  As a result, your security is centralised and compatible with your remote access needs.

Online Logging – logging is vital if you want to see where things are going wrong.  Viewing logs after-the-fact is reasonable, but its so much easier to troubleshoot if you can see what’s going wrong, precisely at the moment that you click on that website…

 

 

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