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Anti-malware Product-by-product summary	Also: Zero-latency approach gives FaceTime edge New approaches on attacking malware Still no 'malware' definition How we tested anti-malware Subscribe to the Network Product Test Results newsletter

FaceTime Enterprise Edition

By Barry Nance , Network World , 09/18/2006

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FaceTime's system includes an RTGuardian (RTG) appliance, Greynet Enterprise Manager software and IM Auditor software.

Impressively, the RTG 500 caused zero latency as it inspected inbound and outbound Internet traffic for malware and malware references. When it detected unmanaged instant messaging and peer-to-peer protocols (such as Skype) or malware coming over IM or peer-to-peer, the RTG 500 prevented the unwanted computer programs from entering our network by spoofing the source and destination machine addresses to send each session partner a TCP Reset packet. The TCP Reset instructs both sender and receiver to cease the current transfer of data.

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FaceTime's use of the TCP Reset packet is extremely clever. The RTG appliance was never a bottleneck, because it doesn't sit inline between the Internet connection and the network. The appliance merely listens to the conversation flow and, when it detects malware, commands the client and the spyware host to halt. In other words, the appliance never has to act as a relay station. While some upstream routers may be programmed to discard the TCP Reset on its way back to the spyware host, you can reconfigure the upstream routers. Most important, the client gets the message to stop requesting the spyware packets.