Brian Zaugg Information Technology Consultant

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) seek to identify malicious network traffic. Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) advance IDS technology with the ability to dynamically adjust network and systems configurations to block malicious traffic as it is detected. As Gonzalez, Paxson, and Weaver (2007) state, “stateful, in-depth, inline traffic analysis for intrusion detection and prevention is growing increasingly more difficult as the data rates of modern networks rise.” In order to better understand the technical challenges and associated innovations associated with IDS and IPS, the author proposes to conduct a review of the literature on the subject of next-generation intrusion prevention systems.

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Network convergence is a key enabler for emerging applications such as IPTV, VoIP, location-aware social networks, and media rich content services. Businesses and carriers are driving towards converged networks to reduce operational costs. There are significant security and implementation risks associated with the implementation of converged networks. However, there are mitigations and active research projects working to minimize these dangers.

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Businesses have come to depend upon reliable networks for the conduct of operations. Raytheon Company is no exception to this trend. By utilizing a change management process and investing in technical redundancy, Raytheon manages and mitigates the risks of network dependency.

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Peer-to-peer networks provide novel features compared to traditional networks. The One Laptop per Child project has leveraged P2P in the design and implementation of a mesh network that provides Internet connectivity to children in the poorest, most remote places of the Earth. By utilizing the P2P model, OLPC hopes to connect the world’s neediest children to the vast educational resources available on the Internet.

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Ten to fifteen years ago, the security threats to information systems were primarily mischievous in nature. Malicious elements focused on defacing web sites and hacking into computers as a demonstration of technical skill. The most damaging malware of the previous decade was simply destructive in nature, deleting data or denying service. Modern malware is much more insidious, seeking to compromise systems and stealthily steal valuable information. Modern security threats are primarily an organized criminal activity that is focused on making money through the sale of illicitly acquired information.

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Wireless sensor networks are increasingly popular across a wide variety of applications, including military, logistics, and retail markets. Sensor node devices are often deployed in environments that would be considered hostile to normal network devices. Sensors are often unattended and accessible to potential attackers. In addition, nodes must be able to participate in self-organizing, wireless ad-hoc networks that are susceptible to jamming and denial of service attacks. Researchers are designing and implementing wireless sensor networks with a combination of authentication, encryption, and tamper detection technologies to ensure a secure environment that mitigates the threats and vulnerabilities.

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