Latest Firewall News

Guarantee of service for priority users and customers is of critical importance
posted on 01/04/2008

Increased globalisation, advances in mobile and VPN technology, improved employee productivity and operational cost savings are all major factors which are driving the widespread adoption of remote working business models. From a network management, business compliance and security point of view this trend has brought with it a whole new range of operational challenges. In recent years a key focus for IT managers has been on privacy together with prevention of malware and unauthorised access to data. Whilst these issues still remain a primary concern, the increasing operational dependence on network services such as email and Web applications has resulted in the ability to offer guarantee of service, particularly for priority users and customers, now also assuming critical importance. Failure in this area can and does cost businesses millions in lost revenue through reduced productivity and lost sales. For e-commerce based businesses 24/7 availability is even more critical. In Decembe... [more]

What firewalls do and don’t do
posted on 27/03/2008

Over the last few years, security threats to companies have grown and altered dramatically and so have the defences. Traditional firewalls, installed over three years ago, are often not best suited for current threats and don’t protect against a number of newer threats. What firewalls do A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorised access to or from a private computer network. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorised Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet (often described as intranets). All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. You need a firewall to protect your confidential information from those not authorised to access it and to protect against malicious users and accidents that originate outside your network. One of the most important elements of a firewall is its access control features, which d... [more]

XGate provides a secure wireless network straight out of the box
posted on 03/03/2008

Global Security One (GSEC1) has launched a security device which creates a highly secure wireless network, straight out of the box. XGate provides a range of benefits to both home and business users, including identity protection, secure banking and safe internet use for children through chatroom monitoring. The device comes with a built-in firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware to protect against banking fraud and parental controls such as web filters and remote PC shutdown via SMS. By identifying and blocking threats before they reach the computer, XGate provides a defence to ensure that personal information and sensitive data is kept truly secure. XGate eliminates the need for a separate router and security software, providing an easy to use, all in one solution for a safe internet environment. Additional functionality includes secure gaming, remote access via virtual private network and auto-configuration for simple set-up. “With the increase in criminal activity on the web, ou... [more]

Hackers disrupt electrical grids and blackmail power outage
posted on 24/01/2008

A senior CIA analyst has revealed that "cyberattacks have been used to disrupt power equipment in several regions outside the U.S. In at least one case, the disruption caused a power outage affecting multiple cities." He added that the CIA does not know who executed the attacks or why but that all of the attacks involved "intrusions through the Internet." This confirms that hackers are breaking into electrical grids in various cities around the world. Their attempts to extort ransom money is a worrying new trend, as he confirmed cyberintrusions were followed by extortion demands. "The assertion by the CIA's senior analyst Tom Donahue that hackers are breaking into power grid computer systems is something that is not uncommon in this sector," said Geoff Sweeney, Tier-3's CTO. "The computerisation of power grids goes all the way back to the 1980s and hackers, often working with inside knowledge of the computer systems involved, have been trying to down power system ever since remote mo... [more]

Internet Security Basics
posted on 21/01/2008

The explosive growth of the Internet has meant that thousands of people are today experiencing the joys of being online for the first time. With growth there always comes pain. Be it your growing pains as a child or the growth and development of this part of our culture called the Internet. Firstly we need to quickly explain what the Internet is and where it came from. The Internet is the offspring of a military project called Arpanet. Arpanet was designed to provide reliable communication during global nuclear war. A vast network of interconnected computers was set up all over the world to allow the various branches of US and NATO forces to communicate with each other. Nuclear war never came (thankfully) and the world was left with a massive network of computers all connected together with nothing to do. Colleges and universities started to use these computers for sharing research internationally. From there it grew and spread outside colleges to local homes and businesses. The Wor... [more]

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