Netronome Protects Against Latest Threats to Web Applications and Services

Increasing Attacks Hidden Within Popular Internet Communications Now Prevented by Regaining Control Over Standard Encryption Protocols

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Netronome Systems, Inc., a leading developer of high-performance flow processing solutions that provide content analysis, deep packet inspection and application acceleration for network and security appliances, today announced a series of enhancements for its SSL Inspector™ Appliance, aimed at preventing the latest generation of exploits to disrupt enterprise security and compliance created by the expanded use of encryption. Documented at BlackHat® DC 2009, tools such as Metasploit™, SSLsniff and SSLstrip expose a series of newly publicized vulnerabilities to SSL/TLS encryption - the most common method used for securing Internet applications, services and transactions.

“In spite of all of the obvious benefits that encrypted communications bring to enterprise security, when not properly managed, these new applications serve as the most efficient cloaking mechanism for both outbound data leaks and inbound attacks.”

Used for more than simple transactions containing credit card numbers and passwords, encryption is increasingly required for compliance, privacy and security by network-based applications and services for the enterprise, and personal communication tools for users. Many enterprises are also burdened with unauthorized applications that avoid traditional detection and prevention solutions by operating on non-standard ports and masking content with encryption.

This necessary increase in the use of encryption creates significant problems for security architects. Often, they lack the awareness of, and visibility into, encrypted communications, which results in increased exposure to attacks along with undetected violations of acceptable use and compliance policies. Further, inadequate management and control of encrypted communications places the security of information at greater risk by creating opportunities for phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks. Finally, even when encryption is being used as intended, it serves as a carrier for both outbound data leaks and inbound attacks, such as viruses, spam, worms, malware and botnets.

With the new version of the SSL Inspector Appliance, the industry’s highest-performance transparent SSL proxy now addresses the issues that make these threats possible by offering:

• An enhanced SSL Session Log which provides a precise audit of all encrypted communications, including the necessary visibility required to regain control of the security architecture.
• An SSL Inspection Policy engine which provides a single location for administration and enforcement of the acceptable uses of encryption, such as authorized sites and servers. Additionally, centralized control over certificate management ensures that self-signed and other low-assurance certificates do not enable phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks.
• An expanded list of leading encryption protocols, algorithms and ciphers which deliver 1Gbps of plaintext to valuable security appliances, such as IDS, IPS and DLP systems, that are unable to detect and control threats hidden within encrypted communications.
• Expanded design options which allow for in-line and tap-port configurations that identify and decrypt communications on well-known and non-standard ports, guaranteeing that all SSL traffic is controlled and scrutinized.

“In light of a series of highly publicized tools that expose threats to enterprise security and compliance, the increased use of encryption has captured the attention of security architects,” said Jarrod Siket, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Netronome. “In spite of all of the obvious benefits that encrypted communications bring to enterprise security, when not properly managed, these new applications serve as the most efficient cloaking mechanism for both outbound data leaks and inbound attacks.”

About Netronome Systems

Netronome is a leading developer of highly programmable semiconductor products that are used for intelligent flow processing in network and communications devices. Netronome’s solutions include tightly integrated network flow processors and acceleration cards that scale to more than 20Gbps. They are used in carrier-grade and enterprise-class communications products that require deep packet inspection, flow analysis, content processing and security. Netronome is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, with core operations in San Jose, CA and Boxborough, MA, and international locations in the United Kingdom, China and South Africa. To learn more about Netronome and its products, please visit www.ssl-inspector.com or www.netronome.com.