Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Switch Your Defense

    Written by

    eWEEK EDITORS
    Published April 16, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Security is one of those amorphous areas of computing where slick marketing preys on the fears—warranted or not—of doing business on the Internet. Sorting out real tools from the hype can be time-consuming and an exercise in headaches.

      Enter application or Layer 7 switches, devices that are security-enhanced to defend against an expansive range of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

      Put simply, a DoS attack is an attempt to overwhelm and interrupt Web servers. That is accomplished in many ways. Perhaps the most infamous is the TCP SYN attack, which creates thousands of sessions by initiating the first of a three-part TCP handshake, but doesnt close out the connections, overloading the server. A Layer 4 switch can handle that with no problem—provided its buffer can handle the load.

      There are other types of attacks, however, such as sending malformed or oversized packets. The important thing here is that DoS attacks are so broad in nature that there isnt just one way to defend against them. A multifaceted defense is the only way to minimize damage.

      Application switches can handle many of those attacks precisely because they operate at Layer 7—the application layer of the TCP/IP protocol stack. By being application and “session aware,” an application switch can tell if a Notes packet looks like and behaves like a Notes packet should, based on things like size and port usage, and whether other Notes packets have passed through recently from the same IP address—thus the idea of session awareness. If the packet doesnt fit the bill, it gets dropped.

      Top Layer Networks, a switch vendor, says an application switch is only part of a unified security solution. The switch “takes a bullet for the firewall” by acting as a proxy and establishing TCP connections to deal with DoS attacks before they get to the server. In addition, the switch prioritizes traffic based on applications, which doesnt really help in a DoS attack, but can help make the most of a small pipe.

      One other line of defense is port mirroring, which basically copies the traffic and sends it off to a protocol analyzer or an intrusion-detection system for analysis in real-time.

      Alteon Web Systems—now part of Nortel Networks—also delivers a Layer 7 switch that, in addition to application information, can make decisions based on cookies and URL strings. Those are small features, but they can guarantee bandwidth to returning customers or to mission-critical pages like the payment page. Still, its defense against DoS attacks with global server load balancing (GSLB) is its true selling point.

      Despite its name, GSLB can be deployed in one location with the outward appearance of geographic disparate servers. Because DoS attacks target one IP address, one of the switches can take the load, while the other handles the “good” traffic until the attack subsides.

      Those switches are not a replacement for an existing defensive system. But they certainly can augment load balancing, bandwidth management and DoS attack defenses in a single package.

      eWEEK EDITORS
      eWEEK EDITORS
      eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.