Data Center Physical Security: 5 crucial tips

Securing data centers is not a child’s play, but are the IT professionals doing enough to secure the data centers. Looking into the soft security measures like enterprise security software may be the most important part of the process but the buck, in fact, does not stop there. There are also a bunch of security measures that may be deployed at a physical level for data center security. Take a look.

Picking the Right Spot for Construction Spot

The thumb rule is avoid building data centers in areas that are close to airports, chemical manufacturing units and power units. It is also advisable to avoid building them in earthquake zones. Ensure that you build the data center at least 20+ miles away from the main headquarters. Ideally, it needs to be 100 feet away from a traffic ridden road.

Pay Attention To Walls and Windows

Go for foot-thick concrete walls as provide protection against explosive devices and elements. You can line foot-thick concrete walls up with kevlar for added security. Avoid windows and if you think, the idea of a windowless workspace is too barbaric for the workforce, limit windows to the administrational office of the data center.

Install Fences and Use Landscaping

It’s necessary to have physical barriers around the data center and what can be a better physical barrier around a construction site than a good old fence? Trees and shrubs can help you hide the building from passing cars and act as a barrier. All this won’t just guard the data center against obstructive elements but also hide it from unwanted onlookers.

Keep a buffer zone around the site

When we say buffer we’re talking about 100 feet. The best way to do is to install crash proof barriers around the buffer zone radius. This, however, may not be necessary if you’ve already installed fences and used landscaping.

Those were the 5 ways to add physical security to your datacenter. If you manage to pull just these 5 things off, your datacenter will stay out of trouble. Additionally, you may also try limiting entry points, installing a sufficient number of CCTV cameras and installing fire doors in the right places and using them on an exit only basis.

Firewall: A Network Security System

Introduction

A firewall can be described as a network security system whose function is to control and monitor incoming and outgoing networks. A firewall is based on predetermined security rules. It acts as a barrier securing an inner network from an outer network, for instance, internet. Network firewall is a software appliance running on hardware based firewall used to filter traffic on more than two networks. A layer of software protection is provided by a host based firewall on one of the hosts that is responsible for network traffic.  Routers are used to separate different broadcast domains and pass data between networks, these networks contain firewall components and also performs basic routing functions.

Types of Firewalls

Application-Layer Firewalls

Application layer firewalls are responsible for metadata as well as actual data transportation. They work on certain protocols such as HTTP and FTP, and look after the data for validation.

Packet filtering

Packets can be defined as small pieces of data traveling along the internet. Metadata is attached to each packet for the identification of the respective data inlet and outlet. According to the rules, some packets are rejected or dropped. All the firewalls have the ability to perform this activity known as network layering.

Stateful Packet inspection

It performs the track of connections in addition to simple packet filtering. A packet performs two functions, either it’s part of a new or existing connection or else it can be dropped.

Use of Next-generation firewalls (NGFW)

Next Generation Firewalls came into the picture due to some limitations in Stateful Packet Inspection as it does not inspect network packets containing data payload and also due to high network traffic, it uses web protocols, including business and non-business applications. New approaches have been added by security vendors, including deep packet and inspection intrusion prevention, for the detection of malware in network traffic. 

This can be a drawback too as these approaches add more and more devices that add latency, as these packets are passed from one appliance to the other. These devices should be configured in some unified threat management systems so that multiple functions can be handled in a single platform. NGFW helps address application awareness drawbacks and traffic inspection, without hampering performance.

Conclusion

There are several firewalls designed according to Internet-centric systems to meet performance and security requirements. It should be kept in mind that deploying a series of firewalls increases the difficulty of obtaining unauthorised access to sensitive resources on the Internet. At the same time, it increases the complexity and maintenance of infrastructure. Designing of networks depends on the nature of applications and risks being mitigated via security parameters around your servers.

Given the facts in this blog, it can be concluded that firewalls, being an important part of security, cannot be expected to perform all security function requirements in isolation.

5 Most Popular Spyware Removal Tools

Smooth computing operation depends on working with secured computers that are protected from malware and viruses. This applies, especially, to large networks that have to indulge in complex practices such as using VPN clients to join private networks. However, if you don’t look into the little things such as acquiring VPN services from a credible source, you’re instantly putting your security to risk.

However, it is essential for you to take accountability for your cyber security in your own hands to quite large extent. Here are the top 4 spyware removal tools available in the market today to help you get those pesky spywares out of your system.

Spybot Search & Destroy

No surprises for guessing the most popular anti-spyware software today and pretty much, of all times- the Spybot search and destroy. It’s a freeware and always the high rated one, wherever it is available for download. Additional capabilities of spybot include botnet scanner, file modification, and dummy code.

SUPERAntiSpyware

The Windows app is available as freeware but also has a premium edition priced at $30. If you’re not concerned with anything more than some element level scanning, you can choose the free version but you need the premium version for registry protection, scheduling service, auto-scan for startup to prevent malware attacks.

Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
Anti-Malware by Malwarebytes is a tool for shareware malware-removal. You may either go for the free version and a paid one. The main advantage paid version is that it offers real-time monitoring. If we talk about the repertoire of this anti malware, it has the distinction of being one of the tools that took down the infamous Antivirus XP of 2008 which led to its immense popularity among the masses.


HijackThis

Yet another one for windows, HijackThis is one of the more powerful malware removal tools. It is freeware and reports all suspicious files on your system, regardless of whether they are malware or not. However, there are good chances that this will amount to a huge log, so unless you are super tech, we hope you have the support of reliable IT people.

Conclusion

These are the four anti-malware software that helps your computer run smoothly. Remember, internet security is a very complex and there’s no real end to the amount of tactics you can deploy in order to secure your computer and network.

Enterprise Firewall: Is One Enough?

Firewalls are installed on a network to ensure control on the incoming and outgoing traffic. They act as a door between secured and unsecured network and filter data based on a fixed set of rules. Usually they are a part of the antivirus software but for in depth security, companies prefer to combine different types of enterprise firewall, to ensure complete security.

Types of Firewall
Firewalls have been taking care of network security since 1980’s. Back then, they were simple packet filter systems that check the header of the incoming data for its details and accepted or rejected it based on the protocol. Firewalls are categorized based on the network they are protecting, interception point and the data form that is being intercepted. Currently, there are three types that cover almost all kinds of network security threats.

Network Layer Firewall or Packet Filters

Network layer firewalls work on the network and filter data based on the packets they arrive in. They can be both state full and stateless based on the fact whether they maintain or don’t maintain a state table of the network activity.

Application Layer Firewall
Application firewalls work on the application layer stack of TCP/IP. Thus, they can be set to inspect data flow from a particular application and scrutinize the traffic for any threats. This is an efficient option for enterprise security, with the only constraint being that application level checking ads to data transfer time.

Proxy Firewall

Proxy Firewalls use proxy servers as gateways between networks. These can be either hardware or software and are considered to be the most efficient firewall systems. Existence of a proxy server between an external and internal network makes tampering difficult. The system is so compound that even if one application is hacked, it is almost impossible to use simple hack codes to reach other internal application through it.

Conclusion
Firewalls are an essential security component when it comes to securing networks. Networks are a complicated system and protecting them from intrusion is a logically challenging task. There have been many efforts to pinpoint one particular system that can completely protect a network and it goes without saying that all the efforts have failed. 

A single firewall can never be enough against the ever growing threats on the internet. An enterprise firewall is a combination of different types of firewalls placed aptly on different levels of network, for complete protection.

The Rapidly Growing Business - Web Security

Outsourcing processes give a lot of significance to data protection. Companies that outsource their work provide access to important details about their employees involved in the business like their credit card numbers. This is the reason why it is important to prevent any kind of data leakage and misuse through web security. This the basic reason as to why web protection is your topmost priority if you are involved in web communication of any kind.

Importance of Better Web Security

A number of Indian companies have admitted that they use web security systems that are using the same kind of security systems used by their clients. There have also been amendments made to the legal laws that work for web protection.

According to a paper provided by Nasscom Information Technology Act, 2000, states in numerous provisions that it is entitled to keep a regular check on the tampering with computer source codes, breach of privacy, hacking, as well as unauthorized download of any kind of data.

Another point that the paper threw some light on the provisions of the Indian Contract Act 1972, Indian Penal Code, Consumer Protection Act and Indian Copyright Act may be used to ensure the safety and privacy of data. However, there have also been talks of making revisions to the law, in fact, strengthening it. There is also a danger of some countries using the inadequacies of data protection which may have an impact on the outsourcing industry. This is another good reason why companies have chosen to hire web security service providers. To earn a bad name is definitely the last thing that any company would look for in such a competitive market. This is the reason why there is a need of a quick, wide-ranging and effective lawmaking on this account.

On the other hand, when we develop any kind of applications or software that are related to our business and outsourcing work, the management of the web data happens to be one of the most important aspects to consider.

Conclusion

No matter what your business vertical is, protecting data is your utmost responsibility as well as prerogative. So, you have a wide range of companies offering you efficient web security services.

How Enterprise Firewall Handles Growing Threats to Network Security

Enterprise firewall is recognised as the backbone of network security. This long-established workhorse needs to be updated to successfully withstand the sophisticated ways of network security breaches that have become a bigger threat for business organizations. Use of latest generation of firewall by enterprises crossed 50 per cent in the year 2013 and this trend is showing signs of continuing even in 2015.

The techies responsible for managing and securing enterprise networks are wary of application-level risks as well as slow and subtle, multi-modal attacks. Both these types of attacks tend to slip past traditional firewalls. Organizations looking to upgrade their technology need to ensure that the new applications they install are not vulnerable to threats.

Traditional firewalls are still useful but not adequate for organizations that need to upgrade their networking systems. The extra features of next generation firewalls have become critical for certain advanced applications. Let us understand this “next generation” enterprise or network firewall.

Next Generation Network Firewall

The term next generation, in the context of network or enterprise firewall, implies a software or hardware-based security that goes beyond the general methods of URL blocking, network address translation, and packet filtering. This advanced firewall comes with granular controls that enable it to conduct a detailed examination of the Web application traffic that passes through it. The firewall is not restricted to examining traffic data only of certain packets, as it is able to track each packet of traffic to larger transactions.

Tracking packets to specific large transactions is not a simple achievement as it enables application-level awareness in the firewall. In addition to this, its other advanced features include intrusion prevention, quality of service, SSH and SSL inspection, malware detection and deep packet inspection. Another important aspect of latest enterprise firewall technology is cloud-based threat intelligence.

Firewall for the Cloud

In order to use contemporary applications, enterprises now need to upgrade their network protection with cloud-based intelligence. Development of firewall which provides threat intelligence by factoring in the various aspects of cloud computing is the way forward for many organizations. Such firewalls offer centralized management and can be customized to be implemented on a global scale.

The capabilities of network firewall continue to evolve to bring contextually-aware intelligence as the fight against malware and other attacks intensifies. Companies need to install something that suits their network architecture and budget and for this, they need to find service providers capable of high end customizations.

Tips to Strengthen the Security of Your Firewall

Most businesses have an online presence today and also interact with different data centers and other data warehouses to exchange relevant information. Not all these sources however are trustworthy and interaction with a dubious entity can pose threat to the security of the entire system. To negate such risks it is imperative that businesses get a firewall installed which acts as a barrier between a trusted secure network that is the internal system and the external system, generally the Internet. Network firewalls exist in the form of softwares as well as hardwares and control the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on specific rule sets. These systems evaluate the different data pouches that travel within the system. Only sets which confirm to the established sets are allowed entry.

Firewalls for years have been used by organizations as first line of defense against malicious softwares and bugs. Hackers however have found new ways over the years to slip past these security measures. Such a scenario can prove to be disastrous for the business and can also put the security of critical data at stake. To tackle such issues it is advisable that organizations work on ways to strengthen the security of their firewall. Some ways in which this can be done are:

•    Most users protect their accounts with passwords which is an effective way of thwarting data theft attempts. That being said hackers today have access to advanced softwares which can scan dictionaries to arrive at different password combinations (one of which can match the one used by the user). To take care of such problems it is advisable that users use a lengthy password which should be a combination of fake words (which cannot be found in the dictionary. Also the password should be changed at regular intervals.

•    Many businesses grant their partner’s access to internal resources. This can expose the system to the risk of external attacks as they do not have any control on the security measures adopted by the partner. Such businesses should create a small network between their private network and the partner’s network. Often known as DMZ or demilitarized zones these neutral zones restrict third parties from gaining access to the company’s server.

•     It is difficult for a big business to secure all its systems given the fact that most organizations use multiple servers and systems. For such businesses it is advisable that they first and foremost make attempts to secure their most strategic web servers for example the server tracking the sales leads. 

Apart from following these steps businesses should always strive towards creating an intelligent security policy which can tweak the security settings according to the changes in the business practices as and when they happen.