The network security challenge: three industry experts sound off about inherent dangers and how service providers can overcome them

In the period immediately following the catastrophic terrorist attacks of 2001, many thoughtful persons within the telecommunications industry felt that something approaching a thorough security audit of all public networks was desperately needed. Perceiving those terrorist acts of three years ago as the opening salvo in a total war against the United States, some industry executives assumed that national infrastructure--especially the telecommunications system--represented a key target of opportunity whose vulnerabilities likely would be exploited sooner or later, presumably on a grand scale.

Three years later, it is still too early to conclude that such fears are groundless. The anticipated ideologically motivated sabotage hasn't occurred. Even so, technological advancements have presented new security challenges to enterprise and public networks.

Public networks today are hardly safe and secure avenues of communication. If orchestrated attacks by terrorist organizations have yet to take place, individual exploits by hackers and authors of malicious code have become much more commonplace.

Focus turns to network security: while many consider the telecoms infrastructure a vulnerable target for terrorists, the more immediate threats are at

Following the 9/11 attacks in the US, many within the telecommunications industry felt that a thorough security audit of all public networks was desperately needed. Some industry executives assumed that the country's infrastructure--especially the telecommunications system--represented a key target whose vulnerabitities would likely be exploited sooner or later.

Although the anticipated ideologically motivated sabotage hasn't occurred, technological advancements have presented new security challenges to enterprise and public networks.

Public networks today are hardly secure avenues of communication. If orchestrated attacks by terrorist organizations have yet to take place, individual exploits by hackers and authors of malicious code have become much more commonplace.

Such individuals often succeed in swamping both public and private networks with denial-of-service assaults. More frequently, they spread viruses and worms that are destructive to individuals using the public networks, rather than impacting the networks directly.

CinTel develops a network security solution that enables content filtering proxy

CinTel Corp., Korea's top Internet Traffic Management (ITM) solution provider, is pleased to announce that it has developed a new network security solution that enables the filtering of outgoing web traffic. Using this new technology, CinTel expects to announce a new product that includes a web caching solution and content filtering proxy solution as early as the fourth quarter of this year.

One of the most important challenges facing enterprises in recent years is preventing important, and often times confidential, information from going out through the network. Until now, simple fire walling has failed to prevent information leakage through web mail, email, web hard, blogs, or internet bulleting boards, and it was impossible to trace these information leaks. In the network security industry, a solution which addresses these issues has been sought after for some time now.

CinTel's new security solution prevents leakage of confidential information via web mail, email, web hard, blog or bulletin boards. Moreover, it allows tracking of such leakage after the event. The new security solution, using this technology, allows filtering of outgoing web content according to a variety of desired parameters. The solution also enables forensic network analysis, therefore the network security administrator will be able to back-up, monitor and trace all data that leaves the network. CinTel's new security solution system comes equipped with a two-tier "Data Probe" and "Data Archive" system which enables huge data storage ability. Combining "Data Probe" with iCache provides both web caching and security solution in one unique piece of equipment.

Organisations fear network security threats from Instant Messaging - report

Over half of organisations believe that Instant Messaging (IM) improves overall communications, but 68% are concerned or very concerned about the potential security threats of the technology, according to the results of research by analyst firm Osterman Research.

The concern about the potential security threats from viruses, worms and spyware is largely due to the well-publicised nature of the growing number of IM threats that have affected IM systems. The number of threats so far in 2005 is higher than for all of 2004, said the president of Osterman Research.

The results also showed that 52% of organisations are using IM for business applications although 75% of companies surveyed had not yet settled on one or more product as an IM standard. Most popular IM clients remained AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, with Google Talk already present in a significant percentage of the surveyed organisations. Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (Sametime) continues to be the leading enterprise IM system in use, with Microsoft Live Communication Server steadily increasing its market penetration.

Campus information technology officials identify "network and data security" as the "single most important IT issue affecting their institutions over

Campus information technology officials identify "network and data security" as the "single most important IT issue affecting their institutions over the next two-three years," reports the annual Campus Computing Survey. A new item on the questionnaire reveals that 50.7% of institutions experienced hacks or attacks on their campus networks in the past academic year; 41.2% reported major spyware infestations; while 35.2% endured major virus infestations, and 19.6% acknowledged major security incidents involving identity management.

Corporate concern about network security

Facing an ever-growing array of threats to corporate information systems, technology executives now see enhancing network security as job one, shows a survey developed by Robert Half International, Menlo Park, Calif., a provider of information technology professionals on a project and full-time basis. Thirty-five percent of chief information officers polled say improvements to network security are their highest priority. Operating-system upgrades were the second-most frequent response, cited by 16% of executives.

"Security is moving from being regarded as largely a defensive measure to one that has become an integral part of systems design," emphasizes Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half. "The increasing sophistication of threats, along with new security requirements mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other government regulations, means that ensuring network security now demands a proactive, enterprisewide strategy."

Lee points out that the growing importance of information security translates into increased employment opportunities for highly skilled professionals. "As this issue moves to the forefront, firms that had included security as part of the network administrator's role, in many cases, are creating new positions focused entirely on this function."