Server and Network Log Monitoring

Many of us wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweats thinking, do we really know what is happening within our network? This is normally after another story about how a large or small company was hacked and their data was stolen and strewn throughout the Internet. But then you resign yourself to the fact that your firewall will protect you and you go back to sleep.

Although your firewall is an indispensable part of your security posture, it isn’t the only way to protect yourself. Many people in the security industry describe security as an onion. It has multiple layers to protect you and give you time to find and fix the issue prior to something happening.

So while your firewall will protect you from bad people trying to get in, it is only as good as the rules that are configured. If you allow access to your wiki from the Internet, then your wiki is now available and can be hacked and potentially exploited. Even if it is properly secured there are always new vulnerabilities. So how do you protect against this? (more…)

What you need to know about the Microsoft Internet Explorer “Zero-Day” Vulnerability

The latest Internet Explorer “Zero-Day” vulnerability, first acknowledged by Microsoft on Saturday, April 26th, has left all version of Internet Explorer 6 through 11 vulnerable to exploitation. However, initial reports indicate that IE versions 9, 10, and 11 are the primary targets. According to the research firm FireEye, the exploit uses an Adobe Flash SWF file to execute the exploit. Machines that do not have Flash installed are believed to be safe. It is important to note that Microsoft will not be producing a patch for its Microsoft XP operating system. Support for this OS ended on April 8, 2014 so if you’re running this operating system on your machine, you will need to upgrade.

If you currently have a Thrive Managed Firewall powered by Dell SonicWALL, the Intrusion Prevention signatures to cover the “Zero-Day” exploit were added to your device within the last 48 hours. You are protected from this vulnerability when on the Internet behind your corporate firewall. (more…)

How Managed Network Security Protection Services Work

Quality network security is an essential part of the operations for your business and meeting data protection compliance and regulatory requirements. It sounds really simple to say you just want to “keep the criminals out” while keeping your business in productive mode. Unfortunately, with the increased demands for technology and information security, this can result in a significant time investment.

Network security is no longer about just deploying firewalls and an antivirus program. Regardless of the size of your business, the latest threats are very advanced. This is why many companies are opting to use enterprise-class network security protection services to increase protection while saving time and money.

If you have never used this type of service for your company or small business, here is an overview of the core levels of protection that a network security protection service can provide.

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Anatomy of a Network Health Assessment

Monitoring the health of your network is an essential part of maintaining business continuity and productivity. Similar to a routine checkup with your physician a Network Health Assessment ensures that your business goals are appropriately aligned with the technology required to meet those goals.

So what is a Network Health Assessment and what does it entail?

A comprehensive Network Health Assessment takes anywhere from four to six weeks and is typically managed by a senior engineer who oversees the process and then reports on the status of the network. The process involves a series of assessments on network components which include the following:

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Protecting Your Network From Hackers

Protecting Your Network From HackersOver the years, network hacking has become increasingly painful for users and administrators alike. These hackers are bored, mischievous neighbors, or just people with a lot of time to waste, trying to access your network through the Internet. Once they gain access, they can do anything they want and you cannot do anything about it. The only thing you can do to avoid it is be prepared beforehand.

Safety from an Internet attacker

They best way to protect your network from being hacked is by (more…)