VCs At DEMO Look Closely At Security Apps

One of those new products -- Hyperblocking-IPS from Tested Technologies Corp. -- aims to make enterprise, home router and cellular phone networks invisible to those who might cause damage.

"Life is good when you're invisible," said Matthew Von-Maszewski, president and founder at Tested Technologies. "It means no more spam, identify fishing or Web portal break-ins, VPN vulnerabilities. It makes hackers disappear."

Von-Maszewski called the technology hyperblocking, and said that every five minutes each hyperblocking-equipped device sends a report to Tested Technologies central database. That central database connects the devices using combined information to predict the "good guys from the bad guys."

The software identifies and blocks transmissions from harmful IP addresses based on IP attributes. If the machine is a threat, the software acts like a black hole for TCP/IP packets, making the machine invisible.

On another security front, spyware has evolved from simple programs to monitor browsing habits to malicious applications that steal personal information and corporate data for financial gain. IronPort Systems Inc., in its second Demo appearance in three years, rolled out an appliance designed to keep Web-based threats, including phishing to keyloggers to spyware to viruses, from infiltrating a company's network.

The S-Series Web Security Appliances are scheduled for available this summer. "The bad guys are using the combination of e-mail and Web technology, such as inserting a link in an e-mail from your friend, to fool people and compromise their machine," he said.

The application uses the same technology that powers IronPort C-Series e-mail security appliances, which now protect more than 250 million mail boxes worldwide, the vendor claimed.

The S-Series Web Security Appliances will include Web filters that assess a site on several factors to deliver a detailed report for each. It will come in two versions, the S300 for those with fewer than 5,000, and the S600 for businesses with more. IronPort has plans to develop an application for small companies, too.

The appliance acts as an application proxy for HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP traffic. It performs content inspections to detect malware mimicking end-user behavior. Gillis said the S-Series Web Security Appliances monitor network traffic across every port looking for activity where malware will try to pass along information about the client it resides on.

A network administrator alerts customers when danger is afoot, but reaching out and telling them something is amiss is more difficult. Addressing tht issue is PorchLight Security Messaging from Front Porch, which works with intrusion detection and prevention devices to monitor traffic and alerts users of security breaches or system infections. Bridging the gap between detection and prevention, PorchLight can flash a message when someone attempts to access a fraudulent phishing site. The software tries to determine in advance if the Web site is fraudulent, so if the user tries to click through they automatically receive a notification warning them.