OhioOnline., Inc.

Anti-Virus Gateways

Even with the large number of malicious attacks today, computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses continue to be the number one security problem. Many organizations have adopted very strong anti-virus policies and protections at the user-level, but have overlooked some of the most critical components the network gateways and the mail servers themselves. Network-level anti-virus gateways will remove your dependence on the user, and will stop inbound viruses before they can infect your systems. They will also prevent your internal users from infecting external organizations (such as sending infected mail attachments). Placing second-layer virus controls on your mail servers will ensure that viruses introduced internally (such is with a floppy) are not propagated throughout your network via e-mail.

Network Architecture

The overall network architecture has a tremendous affect on your overall security posture. An effective security program will include a detailed study of all external connections, including extranet, remote access, Internet, and external connectivity to back-end systems

Network architecture also determines the ease of implementation and the relative strength of your network security measures, as well as being the primary factor in network fault tolerance and performance. OOI has many years of network architecture expertise, and can help you evaluate or design an architecture that makes sense for your business

Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems

Organizations with external connectivity, be it Internet or Extranet, should consider firewalls mandatory. Effective firewalls can be built using various technologies, including your existing routers in many cases. Although OOI is a value-added reseller of Check Point Firewall-and Stonesoft Stonegate firewalls, we also design architectures that make effective use of your existing mechanisms. OOI has real-world expertise in major commercial environments and will ensure that whatever solution you choose, the firewall will act as a business enabler, not a bottleneck.

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are highly desirable in that they can detect hundreds of known security exploits that can easily avoid detection by your firewalls. Its useful to view the firewall as the component that restricts traffic to the minimum necessary (therefore limiting your risk), and view intrusion detection as the component that will closely inspect the traffic you do let through (such as inbound web or e-mail) to ensure that known methods for breaking into your core systems aren’t being employed. If attacks are detected, the IDS can be configured to react in numerous ways, including an active kill of the attack in some cases.

Security Policy Development

Neither security policy nor technical controls are enough by themselves to protect your environment, but together they largely form your enterprise security posture. Policies are needed to educate your users on acceptable use of the IT infrastructure; their duties and responsibilities for password control and anti-virus practices, acceptable remote access methods, control of proprietary data, and a host of other important issues. Policies are also needed to set acceptable configuration standards for network, system, and security components within your infrastructure, including change-control procedures. Routine tasks, such as setting system passwords, connecting remote business partners, modifying firewall rules, deciding which protocols to allow or disallow, adding users, etc., should all be governed by policy. Many of these policies are administrative in nature, but many are very technical. OOI has a wealth of knowledge in both areas and can help you create, modify, or review your policies and configuration guidelines.

Virtual Private Networks

Virtual Private Networking is centered on the ability to create an encrypted session between users and networks, or from one network to another. The remote users or networks are normally authenticated based either on pre-shared secret keys, digital certificates, or one-time password tokens, such as SecurID. Commonly, a VPN gateway device is installed in the Internet DMZ (the protected area between the Internet and your internal networks), and is used by remote users with special software to create highly secure connections to the work environment. This is an especially strong capability if your home user has a cable-modem or DSL connection, as they can take full advantage of their connection speed. The VPN service will also allow traveling users to connect to a local ISP POP, eliminating costly long-distance or 800 service for remote access. A second use of VPN’s is to connect geographically separated business units to one another using the Internet, which can eliminate the expense of dedicated leased lines in some cases. OOI has significant experience in several industry-leading VPN technologies, and can help you select the technology, design the architecture, and implement your strategy.

Security Architecture

The security architecture determines your relative resistance to attacks, both external and internal. Factors such as firewall placement, router and Ethernet switch configuration, network-level anti-virus gateways, intrusion detection, and control over all external connections are some of the key elements of the security architecture. Strong focus on the architecture will help reduce the overall costs associated with security, while ensuring that the security mechanisms used are effective - from an enterprise risk perspective