Scrutinizing Virtual Traffic

Scrutinizing Virtual Traffic

Student cybersafety capture and analysis tools protect the network

For educational institutions, recent advances in technology have also brought problems of cyber threats, viruses, illegal music downloading and excessive bandwidth consumption. As more facilities increase their reliance on technology, the ability to monitor and trace network activity is vital to ensure both data and student cybersafety.

The Bloomington Public School System in Illinois has significant multi-directional traffic on its 98-percent-virtual network across 10 locations. Because more than 9,000 people use the school system’s resources, viruses can occasionally infect the network. One recently navigated through the antivirus software the school system had been using. The virus affected more than 100 machines in just a short time, as it accessed botnet websites and sent spam e-mails to propagate itself. Systems Administrator Jason Radford explained that Bloomington’s traditional network management tools didn’t provide insight into the virus’s path to pinpoint the source and the affected machines.

Similarly, traditional tools didn’t provide the level of detail that Michigan’s Lawrence Technological University needed to manage network traffic through 60 servers on its completely wireless campus. The university’s IT team regularly saw a lot of network noise and fluctuating system response times, making troubleshooting difficult and timeconsuming. With one of the largest wireless networks in the Midwest, the university was also concerned about enforcing security.

Additionally, Lawrence Tech’s large base of international students can cause network outages for atypical reasons, such as when they over-consume bandwidth by using a protocol not standard to the United States or an unfamiliar file program. Tim Chavis, executive director of IT services, needed a networking tool that could allow him to determine the cause of bandwidth saturation and security breech attempts.

The State University of New York at Geneseo also needed to monitor network traffic and prevent access to unauthorized sites. When the Recording Industry Association of America notified SUNY about an aggressive campaign to pursue college students who illegally shared or downloaded music, the university knew it needed detailed network analytics.

As did Bloomington PSS and Laurence Tech, SUNY found that Cisco’s NetFlow technology provided deeper insight into network traffic.

“While I was aware of NetFlow, we just couldn’t analyze the data without a supplemental technology,” said Rick Coloccia, SUNY’s network manager.

Scrutinizer NetFlow and sFlow Analyzer from Plixer International provided the detailed graphical analysis and insight that the institutions needed to isolate network threats and monitor traffic patterns. Armed with this technology, the school systems were able to combat viruses and threats, trace use of prohibited websites and isolate causes of bandwidth consumption.

After the Bloomington school system’s virus infection, Radford used the software to create reports pinpointing every infected machine, and IT “SWAT teams” were dispatched. Now he can further protect the network by denying access to sites that school policy prohibits.

Lawrence Tech's Chavis recently used NetFlow analysis tools to discover that system response times were suddenly exponentially degraded because one international student used a protocol not standard to the United States. The unfamiliar file program consumed 15 megabytes of bandwidth, leaving only 15 megabytes for 4,500 other users.

Using Scrutinizer’s functionality and unlimited automatic archiving to investigate users’ access to prohibited sites, SUNY’s Coloccia leveraged forensic data: He could confirm or deny RIAA allegations, and then either warn a guilty student severely or clear the name of a student mistakenly accused.

“Prior to implementing NetFlow, we did not have the ability go back in time to see how a certain student on the network was behaving,” Coloccia said.

In addition to the Bloomington PSS, SUNY Geneseo and Lawrence Tech, other educational facilities and businesses have recognized the benefits of using NetFlow tools to uphold network security. With automatic logging and reporting on all network traffic, businesses can now understand the detailed interactions between systems.

“Using this technology has changed our processes,” Radford said. “Through Scrutinizer, we can drill down to any type of traffic, anywhere on the network, so we can quickly provide answers to what is going on and why.”

With advances in networking, organizations need means to combat online threats, monitor student network behavior and ensure proper use of network bandwidth.

 

This article originally appeared in the July 2011 issue of Security Today.

Featured

  • Cloud Adoption Gives Way to Hybrid Deployments

    Cloud adoption is growing at an astonishing rate, with Gartner forecasting that worldwide public cloud end-user spending will approach $600 billion by the end of this year—an increase of more than 21% over 2022. McKinsey believes that number could eclipse $1 trillion by the end of the decade, further underscoring the industry’s exponential growth. Read Now

  • AI on the Edge

    Discussions about the merits (or misgivings) around AI (artificial intelligence) are everywhere. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find an article or product literature without mention of it in our industry. If you’re not using AI by now in some capacity, congratulations may be in order since most people are using it in some form daily even without realizing it. Read Now

  • Securing the Future

    In an increasingly turbulent world, chief security officers (CSOs) are facing a multitude of challenges that threaten the stability of businesses worldwide. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Security Entrances Move to Center Stage

    Most organizations want to show a friendly face to the public. In today’s world, however, the need to keep people safe and secure has become a prime directive when designing and building facilities of all kinds. Fortunately, there is no need to construct a fortress-like entry that provides that high level of security. Today’s secured entry solutions make it possible to create a welcoming, attractive look and feel at the entry without compromising security. It is for this reason that security entrances have moved to the mainstream. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings. 3