8e6 Technologies Announces New Solutions to Plug Security Holes in Enterprise Networks

8e6 Technologies Announces New Solutions to Plug Security Holes in Enterprise Networks

8e6 Technologies, the leading independent provider of Web filtering and insider threat management solutions for mid-size to large enterprises, today announced the general availability of three enterprise solutions geared to address specific gaps in network security that many IT administrators may not be aware of, including the elusive use of Web-based proxies in the enterprise. The growing problem of Web-based proxies has remained under the radar for many security administrators, due in large part because most Internet monitoring, vulnerability management, data leakage and firewall solutions are unable to detect this potential breach to network security. In response, 8e6 Technologies created the 8e6 ProxyBlocker, a point solution based on their unique proxy-blocking technology that specifically addresses the growing proxy problem in the enterprise.

Web-based or circumvention proxies are Web sites that allow users to circumvent Internet filters and access any site anonymously at any time, without IT staff having any knowledge or control of access. First identified in the school districts and colleges, proxy use has exploded and has recently bled over into the enterprise as tech-savvy students enter the workforce in droves. While seemingly harmless, these proxies allow unfettered access to sites that may contain malicious code such as Trojans, viruses and keyloggers which employees inadvertently bring inside the network. Unidentified proxy use also allows unregulated access to a host of blocked sites, including social networking and Web 2.0 sites, opening the network to data leakage risks and a host of legal liability issues.

“Corporations can not block what they can not see, and most proxy sites by nature appear harmless to the untrained eye,” said Paul Myer, president and chief operating officer at 8e6 Technologies. “Enterprise IT managers should educate themselves about how to use existing Internet filtering and reporting technologies to determine if proxy use is a wide-spread problem, and then consider implementing specific policy and technology solutions to fill the gap that proxies create in the network.”

With the launch of 8e6 ProxyBlocker, network administrators can continue to utilize their existing filtering solutions while specifically addressing the problem of Web-based proxies. Using technology available in the 8e6 R3000 Internet Filter, the 8e6 ProxyBlocker uses Intelligent Footprint Technology™, a pattern recognition system, as well as the 8e6 Library to identify and block known proxies, providing zero-day protection against known sites. Administrators are able to use the 8e6 ProxyBlocker’s built-in reporting function to immediately identify attempted proxy access and take immediate action to prevent future use.

“At the 8e6 Lab, we see an increasing number of enterprise users circumventing the filter to deliberately violate their company’s Acceptable Use Policy, whether via Web-based proxies or another growing security concern — unregulated laptop use outside the network,” said Rich Sutton, director of the 8e6 Labs at 8e6 Technologies. “These security policy gaps often go unnoticed among IT officials, yet put the organization at tremendous risk of security breaches and legal liability. With 8e6’s new lineup of solutions, administrators are able to implement cost-effective point solutions to immediately plug these security holes and prevent users from getting around the filter.”

In addition to the 8e6 ProxyBlocker, 8e6 also announced two additional enterprise point solutions:
8e6 Mobile Client 2.0 – An update to the 8e6’s remote laptop filtering client for PCs and Macs, the Mobile Client is designed to extend the company’s Internet filtering, reporting and monitoring to the increasing number of corporate laptops, allowing corporations to easily close the security and liability gap caused by laptops that leave the network.

8e6 Watchdog Monitoring Application – An application for all existing 8e6 users that monitors the status of 8e6’s Threat Analysis Reporter, 8e6 R3000 Internet Filter and the 8e6 Enterprise Reporter. By alerting administrators if the appliances go offline for any reason, this service maintains the integrity of this critical security layer and is available to 8e6 customers at no additional cost.

With the availability of ProxyBlocker, 8e6 Mobile Client 2.0 and 8e6 Watchdog Monitoring Application, administrators have access to robust point solutions to ensure that their networks are fully protected against inappropriate Web site access, malware incursions and the possibility of legal liability associated with unregulated Internet surfing.

Existing 8e6 Technologies customers are currently protected against proxy use via the 8e6 R3000 Internet Filter and can easily identify Web-based proxy use via the drill down reporting capabilities of the 8e6 Enterprise Reporter. For more information about how to optimize your current 8e6 solutions for proxy blocking and identification, please visit 8e6.com.