80% of Network Attacks Avoidable with Intrusion Prevention Technology, Reveals Study of Interxion’s Network
Research proves enterprise need for proactive managed security services
Interxion, Europe’s largest provider of carrier-neutral data centers and managed services, has revealed the findings of research, specifically designed to assess how vulnerable business networks are to random attacks. Carried out by Orthus Ltd over a three week period in May 2003, the study found that there were more than 24,000 unauthorised attempts to access an Interxion test network, which was specially isolated for the duration of the study. 1,396 attacks took place on the May Bank Holiday Monday alone. However, when Orthus added intrusion prevention technology from Top Layer, the number of attacks immediately fell by 80%, the remaining 20% attacks proved harmless and required no intervention.
The most common form of unauthorised traffic detected on Interxion’s network was the Code Red virus – still prevalent even though the worm is now 20 months old. However, as soon as the intrusion protection technology was applied, Orthus found that no further incidents of Code Red were able to infiltrate Interxion’s network.
For the purposes of the research, Top Layer’s Attack Mitigator Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) was positioned at Interxion’s Internet gateway, between the ISP router and the network firewall. It was backed up by intrusion detection technology, which logged all unauthorised events. Together, these prevention and detection systems form part of Interxion’s fully managed IT security service, which the company offers to its enterprise customers in partnership with Top Layer.
“It’s astonishing that a business network can fall victim to as many as 8,000 attacks each week,” said Phil Collerton, EVP Operations, Interxion. “Having seen the true extent of the security threat on our own network, we would strongly advise all of our customers to take a more proactive approach to network security.”
“By introducing intrusion prevention technology, which proactively blocks unauthorised network traffic, we were able to significantly reduce our exposure to risk,” continued Collerton.
Orthus’s research also found that legitimate business applications were not blocked by the IPS, with 100% of legitimate traffic passing through into Interxion’s network.
About TopLayer:
Founded in 1997, Top Layer Networks (www.TopLayer.com) delivers proven network security solutions worldwide, enabling enterprises to protect against cyber threats and scale their infrastructure to meet new, ever increasing security demands. The Company’s intrusion prevention products are built on a patented, ASIC-based architecture. The products are engineered to block high-volume DoS and DDoS attacks, HTTP worms, traffic anomalies and unknown attacks; improve the effectiveness of intrusion detection systems through intelligent balancing and distribution of traffic; and enhance the availability and performance of firewalls through firewall/VPN balancing technology. Top Layer Networks is headquartered in Westboro, Massachusetts with sales and support presence in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
About Orthus:
Orthus Ltd. is a professional information security solutions provider offering European businesses cost-effective, cutting-edge solutions for securing their digital information. With offices in London and Milan, Orthus is staffed with highly trained, seasoned information and communication technology security professionals experienced in designing, installing and maintaining creative and effective information security solutions.
About Interxion:
Interxion is Europe’s leading provider of carrier-neutral data centers and managed services. With 20 data centers across Europe, it supports over 450 customers including enterprises, content providers, mobile service providers, hosting and telecommunications companies. Services such as equipment housing, onsite engineering and maintenance, connectivity solutions and a range of monitoring services provide customers with solutions to better manage their ICT and Internet infrastructure. Interxion’s group of data centers is supported by a central European Service Center with a multilingual team offering technical assistance to customers 24 hours a day.
Since its foundation, Interxion has raised more than EUR300 million from a leading group of investors around the world, including Baker Capital, Residex, Bear Stearns, BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, CSFB, and Morgan Stanley.