Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/4636
www.iltanet.org Infrastructure Technologies 33 vulnerabilities by spreading viruses, distributing spam or attempting to break into internal networks to make their own profits. Initially, as businesses installed Internet access, they protected themselves with a network firewall. The firewall's job was to allow in only the traffic that had been requested from an internal user. For a while, this was an effective tool, but as the Internet matured so did viruses, spam and other malicious code. Companies were forced to protect themselves with additional tools. To do this, they began to install virus software designed to protect individual machines and e-mail. As this software became more sophisticated, virus writers had to react and adjust. The game of cat and mouse was on. As soon as an infection was cured, the virus writers would develop a variant, which would then be fixed, and so on and so on. Virus software delivery, updating and maintenance had matured to a point that virus writers needed a new avenue for their malicious craft, which led to the creation of malware, spam and web-borne attacks. Once again, additional tools were required to fight the new threats. These tools included content filtering for both reporting activity as well as capturing malicious code. SOLVING THE GROWING SECURITY PROBLEM In the span of a few years, disruptions caused by viruses, spam, malware and web-based attacks have become a monster. Organizations are now maintaining several different hardware and software platforms to protect their networks from the variety of threats. This can be expensive, difficult to manage and makes it almost impossible to create reports. So what is the solution to the growing number of network security technologies a company requires to secure their network? Enter unified threat management (UTM) products. UTM is defined as a complete security solution, and while the exact technology in a UTM product varies from provider to provider, it typically includes network firewall, content filtering, anti- virusl, anti-spam and virtual private networks as well as some other functions. Among the many benefits of deploying UTM is the improved security an integrated solution can provide. With network, Web and e-mail technologies working together to reduce the risk of threat exposure, organizations can be sure their networks are fully secure. UTM offers complete protection against threats, such as denial-of- service attacks, viruses, worms, botnets and spam messages that contain malicious content. Conversely, deploying multiple, uncoordinated point solutions to protect separate areas of the network (such as e-mail and Web security) creates the risk of security holes. Approaching your security issues by implementing a UTM product means your network is completely secure. Additionally, UTM products also provide cost savings, as they often require a lower initial investment and lower renewal costs than investing in multiple point solutions. The costs of purchasing and then renewing the licenses for multiple point solutions quickly add up to much more than purchasing a single solution that provides complete network protection. UTM products also reduce hardware and software expenditures when compared to purchasing multiple point solutions. Purchasing hardware