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Application networking specialist A10 Networks and Internet threat detection firm Webroot announced A10 would integrate the Webroot BrightCloud Web Classification Service into the company’s Thunder Application Delivery Controller (ADC) product line.
The BrightCloud Web Classification Service enables network and security vendors to help enterprise customers protect users against Web threats and meet regulatory compliance requirements.
Using a combination of global threat sensors, machine learning algorithms and human classification, the company maintains and expands its knowledge of Website classifications and integrates this information into the BrightCloud service.
“Through this service, Webroot is enabling A10 customers to distinguish between non-regulated and regulated categories for their network traffic to ensure compliance,” Darren Niller, senior director of worldwide alliance and channel marketing at Webroot, told eWEEK. “In addition, by partnering with Webroot A10 is able to provide a full Web filtering solution even where Web traffic is encrypted via SSL, thus providing the ability to remain compliant and provide security for traffic even when it’s encrypted by SSL.”
Thunder ADC’s secure socket layer (SSL) Intercept feature decrypts SSL-encrypted traffic and forwards it to third-party security devices like firewalls, threat prevention platforms, or monitoring and analytics products for deep packet inspection (DPI).
Because SSL traffic is encrypted, most perimeter security devices cannot scan it for threats, and the encrypted traffic is allowed to pass through, Niller explained.
The platform can also automatically download new URL updates and—with the optional cloud service—perform cloud-based lookups for unknown URLs.
“Given the increased amount of encrypted traffic, the level of importance is also increasing, especially as cyber-criminals look for new ways to penetrate networks,” Niller said.
According to a 2013 Gartner survey, less than half of enterprises with dedicated secure Web gateways decrypt outbound Web traffic, providing ample opportunity for SSL attacks.
The report project that by 2017, more than half of the network attacks targeting enterprises will use encrypted traffic to bypass controls, up from less than 5 percent today.
Niller said all companies, whether enterprise or small to medium-size businesses (SMBs), and especially those dealing with sensitive and encrypted traffic, need to balance their security resources against their risk tolerance, and look at solutions that provide them with the greatest scope of protection.
“As enterprises continue to bolster their defenses and work to keep up with the myriad of threats facing them, including from encrypted traffic, SMBs may have a more difficult time staying ahead of these types of threats, especially if they are targeted at them,” Niller warned. “Cyber-criminals also recognize that, while the prize might not be as large, it may be easier to infiltrate SMBs if they are unable to invest in proper security measures.”
The Web Classification Service for Thunder ADC is available as an annual subscription for Thunder and AX ADC product lines in Advanced Core Operating System (ACOS) 4.0, and will be available in the fourth quarter of this year.