NETWORK SECURITY SOLUTIONS: An Integrated Approach Help

As enterprise networks grow and become the most crucial driver of business,
they are also becoming increasingly vulnerable to attacks from diverse sources.
Most corporations–especially those for whom network downtime means not just
loss of business but also of reputation–are well aware of the vulnerability of
their networks.

Unfortunately, except for a few large corporations, most of them still have a
piecemeal and reactive approach towards security. However, it is now being
accepted that threats to networks must be taken care of in a holistic and
proactive manner. And since the source of attacks can be as diverse as the
number of vulnerable points on the network, networks needed to be guarded by an
integrated security solution.

Integrated Security solutions

While on one hand, many security solutions vendors have been promoting the
concept of an integrated security solution, on the other hand, many enterprises
too have shown an inclination towards deploying a comprehensive solution instead
of going for point solutions or appliances that address only one or a few
portions of the security. This broad-based approach to security has happened
largely in the past one year. As Avinash Purwar, business development manager,
Cisco Systems (India & SAARC) points out that in the last financial year,
Cisco India’s focus was on selling individual boxes which could fit into the
customers network and deliver specific functionalities. Therefore, PIX Firewall
boxes, 42XX IDS boxes and 3000 series VPN concentrator boxes were positioned
with the customer. "However, the sales team found that many times, the
customers did not really require dedicated (and thereby, more expensive)
solutions–but integrated solutions which could deliver multiple
functionalities and could be scaled up as and when the requirements went
up," he says.

Integrated Network Security Architecture

Even though various security solutions vendors have different definitions for
an integrated security solution, such solutions must offer a combination of
hardware and software platforms including a security management solution that
offers multiple functionalities and takes care of the entire gamut of security
on a network. Rakesh Singh, general manager, Asia operations, NetScaler, defines
an integrated security solution as "one that encompasses not only a point
security problem (like worms/intrusions), but also handles a variety of network
and/or application-layer security challenges." Pointing out that the
concept of integrated security is emerging as an effective approach to address
the new challenges facing e-businesses, Joy Ghosh, country manager—India,
Symantec, says, "This method combines multiple security technologies with
policy compliance, customer management, service and support, and advanced
research for complete protection."

On the other hand, Nortel Networks definition of integrated network security
is based on a key tenet known as ‘Security in the DNA’. Nortel Networks
strategy for enterprise security called ‘Unified Security Architecture’
assumes that all components of an IT infrastructure are targets... that even
internal users could be network threats... attacks are inevitable... network
performance cannot be compromised by processing-intensive security
measures...and IT budgets are constrained. "It is not a one-size-fits-all
prescription, but rather a framework of functionality that offers multiple
implementation choices suitable for closed, extended, and open enterprises in
different industries–and for diverse application requirements within all
enterprise types," emphasizes Sanjay Jotshi, director-marketing &
channels, Nortel Networks India.

Vishak Raman, country manager—India, WatchGuard Technologies, makes an
altogether different observation. He says that today there is no clear-cut
definition for an integrated solution. "At one end of the spectrum, there
is a growth in specialized appliances like HHTP Proxy and Blue Coat, SSL-based
(Neoteris) and on the other end there are integrated appliances which claim to
have application proxies, IDS, IDP, URL filtering, routing,
anti-virus, firewall, VPN, QOS, SLB (Server Load balancing) etc," he points
out, adding that a customer might not need or might not use the entire piece of
features. His take is that it is eventually enterprises that would define what
would be an integrated solution for his existing set-up.

The Key Elements

Key security technologies that can be integrated include firewalls (they
control all network traffic by screening the information entering and leaving a
network or portion of a network to help ensure that no unauthorized access to
computers and/or the network occurs), intrusion detection (detects unauthorized
access and provides alerts and reports that can be analyzed for patterns and
planning), content filtering (identifies and eliminates unwanted traffic)
virtual private networks (secure connections beyond the perimeter, enabling
organizations to safely communicate with other networks across the Internet),
vulnerability management (enables assessments of a network’s security position
by uncovering security gaps and suggesting improvements) and virus protection
(protects against viruses, worms, and Trojan horses).

Singh of NetScaler says that an integrated security solution can have a wide
range of elements but common application-layer security challenges (which
NetScaler focuses on) include denial of service (DoS) attacks, intrusion attacks
(worms and viruses) and overall encryption to protect transmitted data (SSL
encryption).

Benefits

Companies usually perceive security as an expensive proposition (that’s
not always without a reason), which also involves lots of management
complexities. As such any security solution must offer benefits in terms of
total cost of ownership, functional depth and efficiency and ease of management.
From an enterprise standpoint, though security is a big concern, keeping
operational costs low is also a big concern. Many products implemented in the
operating environment means increase in management and manpower overheads and
would in turn increase complexity.

An integrated security solution takes care of many of these concerns of an
enterprise. By adopting a comprehensive strategy that holistically addresses
security at each tier of the network (client, server and gateway), organizations
are able to reduce costs, improve manageability, enhance performance, tighten
security, and reduce risk of exposure.

"We feel these three metrics would define the success of an integrated
solution in the market place–cost, performance and depth of the specialization
of that feature available in that integrated appliance," observes Raman of
Watch Guard.

Integrated security solution can offer much more seamless operation.
"Multiple devices (from different vendors) often don’t work well
together, as encryption or other issues can challenge data flows and visibility
of traffic streams – doing the majority of one type or other of security
operations in the same device maximizes the chances of success," emphasizes
Singh of NetScaler.

Integrated security solution reduces the need to purchase, install, update,
and manage multiple security products from multiple vendors or address
interoperability issues between various vendors’ products at each network
tier. Such a solution enables reallocation of IT personnel to other strategic
projects while maximizing the productivity of the often overburdened
IT-department, improving overall security manageability. "Since an
integrated security solution can be implemented at all network tiers, it offers
greater protection of proprietary assets. Integrated security allows for
uninterrupted business operations, promotes employee productivity, maximizes
revenues, and minimizes the possibility of litigation," says Ghosh of
Symantec India.

Integrated security solutions may be the future of network security. However,
that should not mean enterprise networks are tied to security devices or
appliances from one vendor. Enterprise must always deploy best of breed
solutions and products. And this is what is beginning to happen. No doubt, large
security vendors like Cisco and NetScreen have found it useful in putting
together an ecosystem of partners or frantically acquiring specialist single
product companies that would help them build more effective and powerful
security solutions.

Ravi Shekhar Pandey