Australian IT security innovator, Netbox Blue, has released its most advanced protection against known and unknown internet threats - Netguard IPS. The feature combines an advanced Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) with total internet policy alerting and enforcement control to give companies the surest means to protect vital data, preserve network integrity, manage office productivity and deliver their duty of care to staff and clients. 

 
The Netguard IPS protects businesses from the inside and the outside,Chairman John Fison says. It blocks malicious content from being downloaded onto the network and prevents a company's network from sending malicious content. The Netguard IPS comprehensive policy setting features also provide total control over dynamic applications, such as peer to peer downloads and VoIP, that traditional firewalls are unable to block. The Netguard IPS adds another layer of security and control to the Netbox's integrated suite of features, giving companies of all sizes cost-effective protection against the ever changing digital threat landscape.
 
Intrusion detection and prevention

With the rise of internet use in business, companies are increasingly exposed to an avalanche of new threats. Traditional firewalls are not designed to block malware contained in web pages. With an increasing number of viruses now nested in internet sites and applications, traditional firewalls no longer provide the protection needed. By using everyday web applications and downloading information from internet sites, staff members risk infecting their company with a virus or exposing data to hacking attempts or phishing attacks. Internet use can also result in a company's network becoming a member of a botnet, being taken over by a spam network and being used to send out massive amounts of spam email without the knowledge of the company. This can severely damage a company's reputation and make it difficult to work with other organizations.  
 
Even the most legitimate internet sites can be compromised by hackers. Staff members can then unknowingly download malicious content by simply visiting the site.  It's this 'unknowable' element to web browsing that the Netguard IPS focuses on, using the HTTP anti-virus scanner to look for malicious code, in real-time. The system comes with all-port scanning abilities and is bi-directional. Many gateway Intrusion Prevention Systems focus only on traffic originating from the internet. The Netguard IPS also looks at outbound traffic, delivering protection against brute force attacks and protecting the network from becoming a member of a botnet. If an infected PC or laptop is detected, the system automatically prevents it from sending out spam. It blocks the PC or laptops access to the internet and alerts the IT administrator. In this way the company is protected against being hijacked by cyber criminals and prevents reputational damage.  The Netguard IPS is seamlessly updated in real time, without any user intervention, to ensure the network is always protected from emerging internet threats.   

Dynamic application control

The Netguard IPS provides administrators with a vital tool for managing dynamic applications. Dynamic applications such as Skype, instant messaging and peer to peer applications can easily change the way they behave to bypass traditional firewalls, leaving the internet open to abuse. Uncontrolled internet use can have damaging consequences for productivity, disrupt internet performance, add to internet bills and bring down the entire network. Media and music streaming can have a particularly detrimental impact on a company's bandwidth and productivity and can also be illegal.  
 
If staff members are spending time adding to their music collection, chances are other crucial business applications will be affected as vital bandwidth is chewed up, Mr Fison says. The company will also be paying higher internet charges. If staff members or even guests are using company systems to illegally stream media, the company can be liable.
 
The Netguard IPS uses Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to effectively open up a file and inspect its contents to determine if it fits within the companys policy. In this way it is able to identify and block applications, such as peer to peer media streaming, that would bypass a traditional firewall. The system can be used to block or alert managers when a company policy is being breached. This allows managers to take swift action if needed. The granular policy setting offered by the Netguard IPS also gives managers unprecedented flexibility in controlling applications. If a company needs to use an instant messaging application, for instance, it can do so and block all others. This would not be possible with a port-blocking firewall.  The Netguard IPS, combined with Netbox Blue's category web filtering and email filtering engines, delivers total content control to businesses.