We are often asked by clients how to block a particular application, most notably one that includes instant messaging (IM), such as Facebook, Skype, MSN etc. But the problem with blocking an application is that it will often find a way through a firewall – either using ‘tunnelling’ software, or by searching through all available ports until it finds one open (a problem that can be solved through security systems such as Network Box). So securing the application, and creating user policies on how and when to use it, may be a more effective solution than simply blocking IM altogether.

Guidelines for companies on creating policies around employees' access to social networking sites, such as Facebook, during work hours

It seems you can’t open a newspaper or look at a news site without seeing Twitter all over the headlines. From Barack Obama’s use of Twitter during his election campaign, or reports that the primary school curriculum will include teaching children about Twitter, to growing concerns about identity theft on the site, it is clear that the micro-blogging platform is in a phase of enormous growth.

Guidelines for companies on securing social networking sites, such as Facebook, during work hours.

Corporate bloggers need to pay as much attention to the security of their blogs as they do in writing them, to avoid being hacked. This Guide to Secure Blogging gives bloggers clear and simple guidelines to keeping blogs - and their readers' safe from hackers.

The problem with spam detection is how to define spam.  This guide examines current techniques on how to define and then detect spam; and how spamming itself evolved... and how to avoid detection.

Network Box includes multiple Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) working together in combination with the core routing and firewall functions, to provide a highly-flexible and modular approach to the problem of securing network traffic.

'Back-scatter' is the deluge of messages the 'sender' receives after a mailing has gone out. It is caused by systems that accept mail during delivery, but  then cannot deliver the mail.  The system then sends back a bounce message.  This whitepaper gives more information on Backscatter Spam and how the Network Box deals with it.

Guidelines for companies on creating policies around employees' access to social networking sites, such as Facebook, during work hours

Sun Tsu once wrote that "the control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers". The Network Box Mail Portal system addresses just that - control itself, and the delegation of that control. While the Network Box web interface permits the administrator to view and control the Mail policies of the organization, at the gateway, Mail Portal allows the administrator to delegate that control to end-users and put them in control of their own email (while still being restricted by overall company policy).

Email envelope pre-scanning functionality, is a new technology which allows Network Box systems to make a very sound judgment on whether an email is from a spammer or not; without even needing to actually download and scan the email itself.  Pre-scanning email
envelopes can improve throughput, and also free up valuable Internet bandwidth from being wasted.

Losing sensitive data in transit is a burgeoning issue for individuals whose data has been lost, as well as businesses. Not only is data loss damaging to the reputations of companies involved, it can have other far-reaching implications, such as leaving businesses open to financial attacks from hackers, or causing intellectual property to land in the hands of competitors. Employees themselves also have reason to worry, with the proposal of legislation that could see individuals who negligently disclose personal information imprisoned for two years.

At Network Box, one of the most common questions we're asked by IT directors and managers is how to protect wireless networks. Obviously, there are many security technologies on the market that are capable of securing wireless networks; but what businesses and home users don't appear to understand is that they can greatly increase the security of their wireless networks simply by switching protocols from wired equivalent privacy (WEP) to wi-fi protected access (WPA).

The continual success of the network security industry is only as effective as the security professionals that run it. This means recruiting high-calibre security professionals is essential for any organisation wishing to be protected from the external and internal threats. Identifying, training and retaining security personnel is hard, often proving to be a time-consuming and expensive process.

In late 2006, an old technique became popular again with the blackhats. They resurrected parasitic malware, a technique whereby malware is added to existing files on a system. During 2007, this form of malware flourished with McAfee Avert Labs identifying 150 new variants of parasitic malware, Philis and Fujacks. New viruses using this technique were also discovered, such as Grum-A, and it seems that this technique has made a comeback.

As the world of ATMs evolves and they become connected to the Internet, IT security is fast becoming a pressing concern, which needs to be addressed before a major incident causes the public to lose confidence in this very useful tool.

As broadband connectivity spreads, companies are beginning to use it for voice telephony. This is known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. One of the most popular VoIP systems is Skype. But just how safe is it? While it's great for end users, from the network administrator's point of view, and from the security point of view, the doors may be wide open.

Phishing is fraudulently attempting to acquire sensitive information like passwords, credit card details etc. It is tied into the growing crime of identity theft and, over the past two years, there has been a big increase in this form of crime. So what can a company do to protect itself from this form of attack?

Senior managers outside the IT department will most likely have a very hazy impression of what is meant by the terms blogging, iTunes, MySpace or MSN messenger. Yet the use of these new technologies at work is a major threat to their businesses.

The era when script kiddies were the primary online threat has long since passed. Today, hacking and malicious code are big business. Too big, it would seem, for some blackhats to manage single handed.

This brochure has been written for IT managers who aren't security specialists, but who want to make good decisions about IT security.

As users blur work and personal Internet use, particularly on their own devices, you could find your organization exposed to malware simply because of their ignorance. Businesses need to think laterally when it comes to protecting their networks from attacks that may come in through a growing array of network endpoints – including smart phones, PDAs and laptops – that are being used to access social networks, blogs and micro-blogs, and photo and video-sharing sites.