In a bid to curb the hackers and claw back some of the estimated $19bn that is lost annually to electronic espionage, Storage Technology Corp has come up with a product designed to protect networks from internal and external hackers. NetRanger moves away from the traditional firewall and enables real-time intrusion detection and response, blocking unauthorized access, detecting intrusions and monitoring network activity. When patterns of suspicious activity are detected, an immediate electronic signal or alarm is dispatched to the network controller without disabling the firewall. The company describes the product as large scale, real time network security management. StorageTek’s product marketing manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Bernard Zeutzius, claims NetRanger is the first product to detect and proactively ward off suspicious attacks. There are two main components in NetRanger; the NetRanger Sensors and NetRanger Director. The sensors are placed at crucial points on the network, such as internet connection points, and monitor all inbound and outbound traffic, and if a security breach occurs, further access is denied. The Director is a collection of Graphical User Interfaces and tools that enables staff to review and react to security violations if and when they occur. NetRanger also monitor and record who is using the network and how it is used. Zeutzius said many companies are finding the product appealing purely for this reason; they can monitor their network use and stamp out non-work related, or inappropriate usage. NetRanger is available now across the world: prices start from $17,000.
