Beware of the Christmas Effect on Network Security

ATLANTA – As employees return this week from a long holiday, take note of the shiny new computer gadgets they bring into the office; they may be also unknowingly toting along with them viruses, worms and rogue devices that can breach the security of a network from inside the firewalled perimeter.

The popularity of USB thumbdrives and MP3 players as holiday gifts makes them prime candidates as carriers and propagators of malware from home computers to other stations at the office. Contamination frequently starts with tainted media files downloaded from peer networks such as BitTorrent that are copied onto the portable drives. Even the act of installing P2P programs can sometimes introduce spyware and adware to a host.

“The portability of USB devices makes it easy to accidentally infect an enterprise network with contagions carried in from a home computer,” said Jim Watson, CEO of Reflex Security. “The most effective method of preventing other computers on the network from being infected is by detecting and blocking at the packet level with an inline network intrusion prevention system (IPS) like Reflex Security’s.”

Rogue network devices such as wireless access points also add to the security headaches at the beginning of the year. Employees bringing unsecured access points into the office can allow anyone from outside the office to attach to the company network, maliciously or unintentionally.

“The ease in which wireless access points can be configured without a network administrator and the wide availability of wireless laptops makes them very tempting to deploy by employees. They can literally popup over lunch,” said Hezi Moore, Reflex Security’s CTO. “Having complete visibility and awareness of all assets on the network is crucial for effective security. Not only must your IPS automatically detect and block, but it must also discover unauthorized hosts and services, and isolate them from the rest of the network.”

Reflex Security plans to incorporate network discovery, intrusion prevention and host quarantine in a single IPS platform in its upcoming release in January. [www.reflexsecurity.com]

About Reflex Security, Inc.

Reflex Security, Inc. is a pioneer in network intrusion prevention solutions. The company’s flagship solution, the Reflex IPS™, delivers network intrusion prevention through deep packet inspection and a comprehensive suite of detection and prevention techniques that block internal and external security attacks. Powered by SentriumTM solid-state technology, Reflex IPS provides improved security, increased reliability and performance to prevent today’s most serious network security threats. Scalable to thousands of sensors, the Reflex IPS provides effortless enterprise security for businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit the Reflex Security web site at www.reflexsecurity.com, call 888-872-7555 or contact any authorized channel partners.

Contact:
Fred Go
Reflex Security, Inc.
(770) 408-2034 ext. 356
fred.go@reflexsecurity.com