Selecting the appropriate security solutions to protect your company’s network is a key component to ensuring a secure network. Even though the security landscape is consistently evolving with new threats daily, companies must still aim to achieve the highest levels of security. Security vendors are committed to providing innovative and comprehensive solutions that help customers stay one step ahead and protect them from security threats at all access points.
Not long ago the world reverberated from the effects of viruses such as Nimda, CodeRed, and more recently, Slammer, Mydoom, Netsky, and Bagle. Viruses can severely impact companies for months or even years after its initial discovery. There are more than 100,000 viruses, and the average company encounters 113 viruses per 1,000 PCs per month. Protection from viruses and malicious code is not a luxury; it is a necessity for any organization.
The Internet's continued expansion and growth has led to significant access advancements, in addition to greater security risks. Because of this, there is now an inherent lack of security in the networks and software that we use today. In the case of software, to get connected to the Internet, designs were added that were at best intended to be in small and trusted networks. The Internet itself was designed assuming everyone connected to it were friends communicating with friends. Modern IT administrators have to assume whendesigning and defending their infrastructure that communication will have to withstand enemies attacking enemies. Although new viruses, hackers and other security threats continue to make media headlines, many companies still do not heed the warnings to take the appropriate steps necessary to safeguard their resources. This is either due to a lack of knowledge or simply not knowing where to start.
As the Internet becomes integral to how companies communicate and conduct their business globally, companies will continue to be susceptible to malicious threats, such as viruses, worms, hacker attacks, spam, and inappropriate content. Online security threats have become a part of everyday life. Common tasks such as instant messaging, reading emails, and browsing web sites on theInternet can expose computers to attacks from viruses and hackers.
Organizations of all sizes face this reality every day, often with limited IT staff juggling various duties, and often with limited expertise to maintain and implement the appropriate information security systems. Monitoring protection, ensuring system compliance, andtroubleshooting problems are an especially difficult reality. Administrators want the ability to secure their networks internally, but without the complexity. The success of your company depends increasingly upon your network and the data it transports. You need to protect that data and ensure it is not misused. As today's networks run faster and provide support for more valuable corporate applications, there is a greater need to secure and protect larger volumes of business-critical traffic.
Traditional security products provide control of a variety of security issues, but they lack the integration to work together and deliver complete network coverage they only provide islands of security. For example, a firewall may not block all malicious traffic. Intrusion detection systems may not contain the latest, frequently required updates to keep abreast of new signature patterns. Some products only sample network traffic looking for patterns, rather than examining every individual style. On the other hand, a product that performs a deeper data analysis may save only the statistical information and not the actual packets. The only way to truly safeguard your information, your files, and your privacy, is to adequately protect your system with reliable security technologies and implement security programs for all access points.
This Info Security Products Guide plays a vital role in keeping end-users informed of the choices they can make when it comes to protecting their digital resources. It is written expressly for those who are adamant on staying informed of security threats and the preventive measures they can take. You will discover a wealth of information in this guide including award-winning case studies and deployment scenarios, people and technologies shaping info security and the best-selling products. Start implementing some of these best practices in your business today. And stay secured.
Christopher Bolin EVP and Chief Technology Officer, McAfee, Inc.
