IBM Introduces New Class of Network Security Appliance to Help Control Social Media and Web Browsing Risks

ARMONK, N.Y., July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As employee access to the Web has become ubiquitous, enterprises are struggling with massive increases in malware as well as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), which can compromise proprietary data. Many of today's security solutions often offer limited visibility and control over network activity, which can put the company at risk.

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To help clients proactively protect against evolving security threats, including those posed by social media sites and malicious websites, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a new class of network security appliance that delivers a more granular view of a company's security posture and a simplified security management interface. This new next-generation intrusion prevention appliance helps clients address advanced attacks targeting their organization, providing visibility into exactly what applications are being used on the network, where users are going on the Web, with the ability to monitor and control this activity, which can result in improved security and reduced operational costs.

Unprecedented Application Visibility
Many enterprises today, armed with legacy tools to protect themselves, are often not prepared to face the continuously evolving threat landscape. IBM Security Network Protection XGS 5000 is a next-generation intrusion protection system specifically designed to address the constantly evolving, increasingly sophisticated threats that organizations face today. It builds on the proven, core security features found in IBM Security Network Intrusion Prevention System, including helping protect against "zero-day" exploits, by adding new levels of visibility and control over the network, applications, data and users to help improve security by helping prevent misuse and identify previously undetectable threats.

IBM Security Network Protection incorporates global threat intelligence from X-Force, including a Web filter database of over 15 billion URLs – capable of monitoring and categorizing millions of Web servers and applications each day to provide superior protection against the changing threat landscape. Once organizations are aware of the nature of activity on their network, the new application control features enable clients to have granular control over what is happening on their network; this means granular user and group-level control over which applications and Websites are permitted, and how they are used down to individual actions or activities within these applications and sites.

With IBM Security Network Protection, clients can:

• Immediately discover which applications and Web sites are being accessed
• Identify misuse by application, Website, and user
• Enforce security policies with granular, intelligent application-level controls

This visibility is greatly increased via integration with IBM's Advanced Threat Protection Platform, which utilizes anomaly detection and event correlation capabilities to better address more complex attacks such as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). IBM Security customers can also choose tightly integrated solutions that use optimized security products and Security Intelligence tools, including analytics. In addition, IBM's Managed Security Services can provide constant monitoring and management of a customer's IT environment to augment or replace in-house expertise. 

"IBM Security Network Protection gives us a better view of our security posture and what is taking place on our network," said Peter Param, Manager of Network and Security, from St. Vincent's Hospital in Australia. "With more than 1,000 distinct users, as well as sizable traffic from streaming video and social media sites, knowing which employees are authorized to access particular sites throughout the day, as well as knowing which applications are being used on our network, is critical in optimizing it as well as increasing our security posture."

The IBM Security Network Protection XGS 5000 is the newest addition to IBM's Advanced Threat Protection Platform, one of the most comprehensive, integrated threat protection systems on the market. The solution helps protect against network-based threats masked in common network traffic, and prevents attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities at the network, host and application layers.

"The escalation of targeted attacks and rapid adoption of mobility, cloud and social media requires companies to take a new approach to securing the enterprise," said Brendan Hannigan, General Manager, IBM Security Systems Division. "IBM is uniquely positioned to help our customers address these challenges with our new Advanced Threat Protection Platform that combines total security intelligence from within the enterprise, exhaustive external threat intelligence and the new XGS appliance that delivers fine-grained activity detection and control."

IBM Security's Advanced Threat Protection Platform helps clients by providing the following features and capabilities:

• Proven security to help protect against zero-day threats: enables preemptive protection against a full spectrum of advanced threats, including Web application attacks and exploits hidden in files. IBM's protection engine is built upon years of security intelligence gathered by X-Force Research, and can stop entire classes of attacks – including new and unknown threats – without updates; most solutions available today match individual protection signatures - a process that can be too slow to stop evolving threats and can result in higher rates of false positives and false negatives.
• Visibility and insight: provides application awareness, monitoring and control, with high level dashboards for drilling down into events and reporting. Also provides deep insight into the nature of activities on the network through broad application awareness and flow data analysis. Integrates with QRadar Security Intelligence Platform to provide even greater levels of insight including anomaly detection and event correlation.
• Control: utilizes intelligence related to Web applications, Websites, and non-Web applications, including Web application and Web site coverage with over 15 Billion URLs across 68 categories and support for 1000+ applications and actions.

Availability
IBM Security Network Protection XGS 5000 is available 3Q12.

About IBM Security
IBM's security portfolio provides the security intelligence to help organizations holistically protect their people, data, applications and infrastructure. IBM offers solutions for identity and access management, security information and event management, database security, application development, risk management, endpoint management, next-generation intrusion protection and more. IBM operates one of the world's broadest security research and development, and delivery organizations. This comprises nine security operations centers, nine IBM Research centers, 11 software security development labs and an Institute for Advanced Security with chapters in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. IBM monitors 15 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries and holds more than 3,000 security patents.

For more information on IBM security, please visit: www.ibm.com/security.

Media Contacts:

Nicole Trager
978-621-3076
[email protected]

Tod Freeman
1-415-320-5893
[email protected]

SOURCE IBM