Network security applications are becoming very important for every business that wants to maintain the safety of their customers’ and employees’ data. These include firewalls, load balancers, intrusion detection systems, and even Zero trust network access (ZTNA). In this article, we will go through the main features of these applications and give you a better understanding of how they work.
Intrusion detection system
An intrusion detection system (IDS) is an important part of any network security strategy. It helps you to protect your valuable network data while allowing you to focus on more important matters.
An IDS is a hardware or software application that monitors network traffic. It then reports potentially malicious activity to the administrator. The system may be network-based or host-based.
In order to implement an IDS, you must have the hardware and software. You can then hire a vendor to help you administer and scale your system.
An IDS can be used to protect an On-Prem IT network, as well as a cloud-based network. You can also use it as a detective device. It analyzes network packets as they flow through, and then matches them with a database of known attacks. You can then react to detected anomalies.
IDS solutions can detect attackers, faster than if you tried to manually analyze the network traffic. They can also detect and block malicious actions.
There are many different types of intrusion detection systems. The best solution for your organization depends on your needs. For example, you might choose a stack-based IDS, which is integrated into your TCP/IP network. It watches packets and pulls malicious packets before applications do.
Another type of IDS is a hybrid. It uses signature-based and anomaly-based intrusion detection techniques. It can identify known threats, and it can even flag new intrusion strategies.
Suricata is an open-source network intrusion detection system that uses machine learning to detect suspicious behavior. It can also identify protocols and malware in real time.
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM) is one of the most popular intrusion detection systems. It uses signature-based and anomaly-based techniques to protect your network. It is also a HIDS platform that provides real-time alerts, rule filtering, and automated actions.
Firewall
The firewall is an important part of a network’s defenses against unauthorized or malicious traffic. It filters incoming and outgoing packets, thereby securing an organization’s internal network from adware, malware, and other nasties.
As a filter, the firewall is able to decide if a data packet should be forwarded or discarded silently. To determine this, the firewall compares the packet’s information to a set of pre-defined rules.
There are many types of firewalls. They come in two basic types, hardware and software. A hardware firewall is a physical device that must be inserted between your network and your gateway. It is also possible to use a cloud-based firewall service. The latter enables an organization to grow its security capabilities as it needs.
Another type of firewall is an application-level firewall. It provides the best protection from online application vulnerabilities. It is often referred to as a proxy firewall, though it functions as a gateway.
The firewall may not be the sexiest component of your network, but it’s certainly the most critical. A properly configured firewall will have a rule to drop all incoming traffic.
A firewall might be the smartest thing you have in your network. A well-designed system will have a list of rules that help you determine if you should allow a particular incoming connection. For example, you may want to reject a SSH connection, as this would enable any computer to connect to your network.
The firewall might also have a rule to time out a connection. This is an efficient way to prevent a nefarious connection from entering your network.
Aside from a firewall, you’ll need Internet connectivity for your organization to function. A secure Internet connection will protect your organization from adware and other malware that could steal or damage your company’s sensitive data.
Load balancer
Load balancers are an essential part of a network security application. They act as a reverse proxy to help servers move data efficiently and to improve performance and reliability of applications.
Load balancers are usually either hardware or software. They are designed to ensure smooth operation and to prevent costly bottlenecks. They also increase the availability of applications. They can perform content switching, which diverts traffic to different web servers, as well as provide authentication enhancements like two factor authentication.
The primary function of a load balancer is server load balancing. When a request arrives, the load balancer matches the client’s IP address with the server’s IP. The load balancer then forwards the packet with the response to the client. When a server fails, the load balancer automatically routes the request to the remaining servers in the pool.
Load balancers may also be used to protect against distributed denial-of-service attacks. They can shield servers against network attacks by offloading traffic to a public cloud provider. They can also provide content-based security, such as web application firewalls.
The main benefit of using load balancing is that it helps keep the server from being overloaded, which can degrade performance and reduce the capacity of the system. It also minimizes the attack surface and helps to detect and avoid outages.
The most popular form of LB is cloud load balancing. This is a low-cost method that can help businesses manage their networks’ traffic. The service ensures that the capacity of the system scales up in response to traffic spikes.
ADCs are software-based appliances that perform the same functions as load balancers. They can be installed on a variety of different hardware and can be installed in the cloud or on-premises. ADCs are designed to give businesses greater functionality and security while enabling seamless access to applications during peak times.
Zero trust network access (ZTNA)
Zero trust network access (ZTNA) network security applications are a set of solutions designed to ensure only authorized users can access your network. These solutions reduce the risk of attacks and insider threats.
ZTNA uses identity-based authentication to identify and authenticate users. When a user wants to access a resource, they’re required to enter a security token. The token is then checked against a user’s identity, ensuring that the right person is able to access the resource.
ZTNA can be deployed in various ways. For instance, it can be a standalone solution that sits at the edge of the environment. It may also be a service that’s hosted in the cloud.
Some organizations choose to implement ZTNA as part of their digital transformation efforts. The benefits of this solution include reduced attack surface, improved agility, and increased security. In addition to improving flexibility, ZTNA also offers a broader range of capabilities, making it an ideal choice for a diverse set of businesses.
Moreover, ZTNAs are designed to protect against lateral attacks. For example, they block connection requests from unpatched devices and alert on attempts to access restricted data. This allows for the isolation of users within a micro-perimeter, which minimizes the risk of a security breach.
The key difference between ZTNA and other network security applications is that it creates a logical access boundary around applications. This makes it impossible for an unauthorized user to discover a resource’s location.
Another feature of ZTNA is its ability to limit access based on the conditional requirements of the application. In this way, a user’s permissions are based on the type of work they do and their location.
Cloud DDOS protection service
Radware offers an affordable cloud DDOS protection service that protects applications hosted on public clouds. Unlike other cloud security services, Radware delivers comprehensive and consistent protection against DDoS attacks. The service provides multi-vector attack detection and automated mitigation. It enables network administrators to detect and mitigate attacks before they reach their hosts.
DDoS attacks are aimed at damaging the availability of a web service. These attacks are becoming more sophisticated and more targeted. Therefore, limiting disruption is important.
Radware Cloud DDoS Protection Service eliminates the need for manual human intervention by automating the entire attack life cycle. This includes real-time attack detection, automated traffic diversion, and continuous monitoring. The service also delivers minimal latency. It can be deployed for both on-premises and in the cloud.
The Always on Cloud DDoS Protection Service from Radware monitors, detects, and protects against attacks in real-time. The service also automatically diverts traffic to the cloud scrubbing center if an attack is detected. The customer portal also features real-time dashboards, reporting tools, and configuration screens.
The fully managed Cloud DDoS Protection Service from Radware is designed to protect your applications and network assets from both Layer 3-4 and Layer 7 DDoS attacks. It includes the most advanced attack detection, unlimited mitigation capacity, and the widest coverage against DDoS attacks.
The cloud scrubbing service can be customized to meet the needs of your applications. It is built upon Akamai’s transparent mesh of defenses. The service can be layered with other solutions such as Neustar’s UltraDDoS Protect. It features 12+ Tbps of DDoS mitigation and global dedicated data scrubbing.
Radware’s Emergency Response Team actively monitors and analyzes DDoS attacks to ensure full protection. Using an Azure Virtual Network, customers can integrate the cloud scrubbing service with their existing cloud instances.
