A channel strategy for security. (Advertising Feature).(NetlQ's Security Manager)

The need for network and Internet security protection within organisations needs no reinforcing. Numerous high-profile mistakes have made it clear to companies that without taking adequate precautions their businesses are vulnerable to attack from malicious hackers and damaging viruses that can bring down their systems, halt their business and irreparably destroy their customers' trust.

External threats such as viruses are well publicised, but it is not only intruders from the outside that concern organisations today. A more pressing issue is how to track and monitor the internal activities of staff to ensure that files cannot be accessed by unauthorised personnel, policies against Internet abuse are enforced and system resources are not pushed to the max.

Protecting against internal and external threats

Companies today are fortunate that there are numerous best-of-breed anti-virus scanners, firewall and IDS solutions that can protect their business. But although these solutions generate the information companies need to identify a security threat or actual breach they create another problem. The sheer volume of data each separately generates is practically impossible to sift through to spot threats before they occur. As a result companies continue to fall foul of security breaches even though -- frustratingly -- the solutions they have in place give them fair warning.

Faced with this information overload companies are crying out for a solution that consolidates all the information provided by multiple security solutions into a centralised point, and makes it possible for rapid, automated analysis of the data to generate real-time alerts -- and preferably resolutions -- for both internal and external intrusions, unauthorised accesses and security and performance threats.