Web Security

Web based security threats and malware

The web has become deeply embedded in modern business. From e-commerce to cloud computing we have become totally reliant on digital transactions for day-to-day activities. The flip side, however, is that organizations have never been more exposed to web-based security threats and malware.

Traditionally, network administrators have deployed on premise anti-virus solutions operating within the corporate network that use signature matching techniques to detect security threats. However, these are costly and difficult to administer, and do not cope well with today’s roaming workers and mobile operating environments. Signature matching is also ineffective against the newer threats, especially self-mutating polymorphic viruses, phishing sites, and ransomware.

In the relentless fight against security threats, today’s systems administrators need solutions that can match the ingenuity, and speed, of cybercriminals and for this reason many organizations are turning to a new breed of cloud-based security solutions.

How it works : Cloud-based Web Security Service

activereach’s Web Security Service is a cloud-based, secure web gateway, providing total threat protection via Software as a Service (SaaS). It delivers real-time URL filtering, advanced malware detection and malicious content blocking to defend users from Internet threats, and helps organizations easily enforce staff usage policies for employee management and legal compliance.

The system works by scanning all requested HTTP/S traffic in the cloud, blocking malware and other threats before they can get anywhere near the user’s browser. Rather than old-style signature matching technologies the activereach service uses machine intelligence to monitor patterns of operation, filter threat attributes and classify risk severity. An important feature is predictive detection intelligence which monitors for newly formed, so-called zero-day, attacks based on behavioural analysis heuristics.

At the core of the system stands the BrightCloud© platform, a world-class threat protection resource which uses a highly sophisticated combination of global security sensors, machine learning algorithms and human classification, to maintain an up-to-the-second hazard knowledge base. BrightCloud continuously gathers threat behaviour data from its worldwide network, processing hundreds of gigabytes of new information per day, meaning all its users are working together to manage new perils.

The service also offers web usage quota controls and bandwidth management facilities. URLs can be categorized and selectively blocked to control user access, including blocking by time of day. A range of social media controls also let administrators control employee access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. Not only are these types of sites a source of employee distraction, but they are also widely used by cybercriminals to gather information on staff for socially engineered spear-phishing attacks via email.

The service is easy to deploy, requiring only the installation of a tamper-proof, small footprint, security agent on client machines. This is automatically updated to ensure users are always running the most up-to-date protection. An important additional feature is that the service can shield users wherever they are located, allowing easy, remote-worker laptop protection, as well as malware defence at untrusted WiFi® hot spots.

activereach Web Security Service offers:

• Easy-to-manage cloud-based security system.
• Comprehensive anti-virus, spyware, phishing, zombie and botnet protection.
• Use of worldwide, collective intelligence, threat knowledge base.
• Proactive URL checking, filtering and malicious site blocking.
• Predictive malware behaviour analysis to stop zero-day security threats.
• Integrated identify and password theft protection.
• Encrypted web traffic surveillance.
• URL and file categorization, and filtration, engine
• Safe search feature.
• Easy-to-administer, group and individual staff web access and usage policies.
• Social media controls.
• Comprehensive logging and reporting tools with real-time graphical displays.
• Rapid deployment using graphical user interface and Windows® Installer.
• Fully integrated with Windows® Active Directory® and supports Citrix® and Terminal Services.
• Fast browsing with minimal latency.
• No specialist hardware or software to support.
• Always-on, multi-device protection for PC, Mac®, iOS and Android™.

BrightCloud is a registered trademark of Webroot Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

WiFi is a registered trademark of the WiFi Alliance in the United States and/or other countries.

Microsoft, Windows and Active Directory are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Citrix is a registered trademark of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Mac is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Android is a trademark of Google Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.