Today’s communication market has expanded to diverse devices and mobile networks leaving operators exposed to a number of internet protocol based exploitations and attacks from the internet usage for their multimedia packets. This type of traffic can cause subscribers and the provider’s core network to be victims of these attacks and is why it is important for the core network to have a security gateway in place. This gives easy access and security for subscribers to roam from small cell networks, as well as, third and fourth generation networks, and Wi-Fi.
One of the leading security gateways is the QUANTiX Gateway which reaches up to 1.2 million internet protocol Sec tunnels per blade. The level of security is exceptional for mobile users between the different network types while providing seamless mobility as well, even IPsec/IKEv2 tunnel performance. The QUANTiX is a Single Server Appliance (SSE), making setup of the device simple and straightforward for even computer novices. Multiple standard based functions are supported whether they are operating system, Linux, Mac or Windows, and web applications developed for various platforms.
With the QUANTiX Gateway device, network administrators can easily set up rules based access policies that can be applied to individual users and groups of users to maintain complete visibility and tracking of activities. With the QUANTiX Gateway device, tracking of web traffic can be maintained as well, ending up with total compliance and traceability of activities.
Web traffic monitoring is done by sending automated reports to email or securing the device using sophisticated security measures so that any misuse can be traced easily. How it works is that the device sends an email each time it monitors up to 1.2 million internet protocol Sec tunnels per blade. The email reports include details like; IP addresses accessed, websites visited, applications used, changes made, and malware attacks made.
The benefit of the QUANTiX Secure Gateway is that it offers support for multiple operating systems, web browsers, and platform combinations, which enables developers to design a network infrastructure that allows for maximum flexibility and compatibility. System administrators can use the device to setup rules based access restrictions that can be used to monitor users and rule out common misuse terms. This allows companies to implement different levels of security and monitoring without having to cut back on the security nets or virtual desktops as was previously the case.
With the growing number of data breaches that have claimed sensitive information on numerous organizations, the need for complete network monitoring and protection became a necessity. Companies that had been using basic network security software saw their cyber security compromised and data easily available to malicious users; this made them lose confidence in their network and software, and eventually, they did not perform as well as they should have. Dell’s recent security breach is a good example where sensitive information was leaked.
Dell had employed a web filtering solution to their products, which blocked unauthorized sites from landing on their users’ computer. However, this solution did not provide any protection or overall security because it did not provide protection against malware that was targeting the users’ computer.
Criminals had started to use legitimate URLs to launch their malicious attacks. Meanwhile, customer databases on the websites were also being hacked and records of credit card numbers and passwords were being copied. As a result, there was a growing list of cloud-based vulnerabilities that could be exploited by criminals to penetrate cloud computing service providers.
To combat cloud-based security breaches, network administrators and service providers must implement more secure infrastructure controls, revise firewall rules, and train their users to use more secure passwords. Additionally, companies must implement toolbars and other Internet security features that could provide a sense of security to their users and predictability to their providers.
Cloud computing can be beneficial for businesses and their employees in that it provides a centralized network for users to share queries, data, and questions. However, careless use can also be a risk, and IT professionals must be aware of the possible risks in the applications they select for administration.
Cloud computing risks have yet to be properly mitigated, so it is important for organizations to conduct a risk assessment before considering any move into the cloud.
