Guarding against
Network Virus
While the primary intent
of anti-virus software is to prevent worms and viruses from infiltrating an
organization's network, some programs fail to detect more complex infections,
thus enabling an outbreak to start. This
issue primarily arouse from the widespread use of laptop computers and mobile
computing in general. Since many users
tend to operate mobile devices with no security implementation at all, an
entire network becomes susceptible to infection. Once a virus establishes a strong hold within
the network, removal often becomes difficult for the most advanced anti-virus
software. Additionally, intrusion detection
systems and firewall components have a difficult time preventing the network
virus from propagating to other files and devices.
A network worm or virus
has the ability quickly degrade the performance of a network, totally disabling
critical devices, programs and network connections. Once the infection spreads, fully eradicating
it often becomes difficult. Reinfection
typically occurs which prompts a spiraling support effort and inflating cost
when attempting to recover from the initial outbreak.
The Answer
The best solution for
defending an interconnected organization is to implement a program equipped
with a network-based firewall. This type
of software can be configured to automatically repair infected network devices
and more importantly, prevent the virus from occurring.
A network-based firewall
uses a combination of techniques to detect, contain and eliminate viruses known
to plague a network. Here are some of
the common features you'll find:
Outbreak Monitoring
- Keeps track of changes in traffic flow, connections made to and from a
particular client and sudden increased traffic through ports and protocols such
as TCP, UDP, IGMP, and ICMP. The system
administrator is immediately notified of any infectious host computers that are
detected.
Outbreak Prevention
- Prevents the spread of viruses over WANs (wide area networks) by using file,
IP address, port and protocol filtering.
These processes may be automated or configured manually to give the user
greater flexibility and control.
Scanning and Detection
- This type of program uses virus scanning technology to detect the latest
network threats, dropping the infected packets before they have a chance to be
executed.
Security Enforcement -
The enforcement of strict security polices greatly reduces the threat of
worms, viruses and other infections, setting guidelines that ensure the
protection of a network. Some of the
actions it may enforce typically include the detection of other anti-virus
software that create conflict or automatically downloading virus definitions
and scanning technology from an online database. It will also check for compliance of these
policies among authorized users who access the network. Those found not to be in compliance can then
be directed to comprehensive instructions that detail how the application is to
be updated and receive training on any other areas that correspond to the
network's security policies.
Where to Find Them
Network-based firewalls
have been implemented by a number of security vendors. Some examples include Symantec's Endpoint
Security, Norton's 360 and TrendMicro's Virus Firewall. When the integrity of your organization is on
the line, it's important to protect it with the best security available.
