You and your business are more dependent on your computers and the Internet than ever before. eMail, Web Pages, Instant Messaging and more have become integral parts of both your work and home environments. There is more raw computing power on your average desktop today than was needed to put men on the Moon! Coupled with today's broadband connectivity, you have potent resources at your disposal.

This, unfortunately, comes with a price. All of these new and wonderful resources draw the attention of malicious entities that wish to exploit, steal, or destroy anything of value you possess. Whether you are the direct target of an attack, or an unwilling pawn in a larger endeavour, your network security and your business are at stake.

Firewalls and other filtering devices provide the foundation of online security, but they only address part of the problem. Simply put, if legitimate traffic can pass through a firewall (ie browsers, mail, IM, etc), then unwanted traffic can follow those exact same pathways into and out of your network. These types of controls MUST be combined with near zealous application of software updates, patches, and "best paractices".

Network Administrators are aware of the extreme difficulty in keeping informed on newly discovered vulnerabilities and patches. This is especially true when dealing with multiple applications across different platforms. It is therefore common for even the most conscientious engineers to have several obscure holes in a given installation.

Employees, as well, can be the source of numerous holes and weaknesses. Whether unintentionally or otherwise, employees are the number one cause of network compromise. Unapproved applications, poor passwords, and generally unsafe practices contribute to more network security breeches per year than any other source.

Once you've properly configured your firewall, educated and supervised your staff, and patched your software and operating systems, what's next? Waiting for an attack or breakdown to occur to assess your protection level is an awfully large gamble. What if you lose and your fortifications fail? You need some assurance that all of your efforts have been effective. You need to TEST your defenses.

You can acquire and use a variety of free and commercial vulnerability analysis software available today. This software is generally both comprehensive and complex. The commercial varieties are simpler to use, but come with a commensurately large price tag. Be advised, as well, that even the best of them require a deep knowledge of vulnerabilities and solutions to be able to differentiate between false positives and actual threats. Also, no single software covers the entire scope of vulnerabilities possible on a given network, so use of multiple programs should be strongly considered.

This is exactly the approach taken by MABB Security. We do multiple, random, and continuous scans across our entire network for vulnerabilities, errors, and violations of our Acceptable Use Policy. These scans turn up the most gross kinds of vulnerabilities in client systems, which we report to them as a FREE service. All scans are as passive as possible to have minimal impact on the network or individual stations.

For those groups and individuals wishing a deeper analysis of their network's defenses, MABB offers our considerable experience and custom analysis on a case-by-case basis. Features of our advanced analysis include::

• Actual "hacker" techniques to mirror actual real world attacks.^*
• Advanced heuristics that can locate previously undiscovered vulnerabilities.
• Scans for thousands of specific vulnerabilities from a constantly updated database.
• Explanations of each vulnerability or problem found.
• Solution suggestions and/or guides.
• Links to relevent resources.
• Comprehensive reports in easy to understand language
• A glossary of terms.

If you are interested in having your network or computer examined in detail, please send an email to webmaster@midatlanticbb.com. Please include the number of discrete machines/IPs on your network and a general list of the types of services you are running. Include information about current firewalls, routers and NAT devices if applicable. A MABB Engineer will contact you thereafter to discuss details and pricing for your unique report.

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