Managed security service packs a lot of protection into one box

As more and more critical applications and services move to the cloud, organizations are increasingly receptive to the idea of using a managed security service to protect their network and information assets. The number and types of external threats to a network are growing uncontrollably, and unless a company has a dedicated and highly specialized team devoted to network security, it's hard to keep up with the rapidly changing threat landscape. After all, the threats of the Internet are the same for every company regardless of its size.

There are many benefits for small or midsize companies or even branch offices of large companies that use a managed security service. First of all, it's a great way to get the security expertise that would be too expensive to hire and retain in-house. The same goes for technology. A small company might not be able to afford to buy the best technology, but it can rent the use of the technology from a service provider. Moreover, the company can get a broader range of solutions that otherwise might not be in the budget -- solutions such as intrusion detection and prevention (IDP/IDS), antivirus and antispam, content filtering and secure VPNs.

We recently spoke to Network Box, a company that says it has the only fully managed unified threat management (UTM) device on the market. A customer would place this device at the edge of its network and let Network Box host, manage and analyze a range of fully integrated security functions that complement each other. For example, Network Box has three IDP/IDS applications running inline with the firewall to provide what the vendor calls zero latency. Every packet that passes through the device is scanned and analyzed. This technique allowed Network Box to catch and stop the slammer worm a few years ago when other companies not using Network Box's services were being attacked.

Network Box has a global reach, and it monitors the Internet on a 24/7 basis. The company says it can see emerging threats long before a single customer will see them using its own monitoring device. With Network Box's ability to see threats as they are developing across the world, the service provider can create corrective measures earlier in time to protect its customers. What's more, Network Box uses patented push technology that automatically distributes new signature to the security devices within a customer's location(s). Network Box connects to the device, uploads the new signatures and assures they are running correctly. This reduces the customer's time of exposure to the newest threats.

The technology partnerships that Network Box has also provide an advantage for customers. Network Box is a member of the Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP), which allows the service provider to receive vulnerability information earlier than Microsoft announces it to the public. As a result, customers don't have to scramble to patch their systems; they can do so in a controlled and tested way while relying on Network Box's processes to protect them until they install the Microsoft patches.

Linda Musthaler is a principal analyst with Essential Solutions Corporation.