Athena Releases PathFinder With Predictive Network Path Analysis

  • Mar 08, 2011

Athena Security, makers of the advanced network security analytics solution, Athena FirePAC, recently announced a new product that extends the core analysis from a device-centric view to a network-based view. The Athena PathFinder product is a comprehensive and powerful tool that maps the relationships between firewall configurations, critical assets and the network infrastructure. It shows what services are available across the network and what paths they will traverse across multiple devices. Using the PathFinder, network security engineers can perform predictive topology path analysis to conduct more effective firewall troubleshooting and to find the optimal places to make rule changes.

The PathFinder imports configurations from network security devices such as firewalls, routers and switches to create an offline model of access policy across the network. PathFinder automatically determines the connections between devices, and the resulting topology diagram allows users to initiate queries from any source to any destination. The model constructed by PathFinder predicts what is reachable and how configuration settings will control traffic.

"Firewall configurations cause extremely complex rule and device interactions that are not easy to troubleshoot by simply injecting data packets in the network,” said David Hurst, CTO of Athena Security. “The beauty of an offline model is that a single query can determine all possible paths and devices where data can travel. It will also identify precisely which firewalls and which rules should be changed to impact traffic behavior."

PathFinder is based on patented technology developed by Athena Security and was evolved to offer security operations groups a focused, clean and highly interactive user experience. It is a handy tool that can be downloaded and installed in minutes.

Additional new features include:

  • Quick creation of topology diagram by one-step connections to adjacent nodes in the diagram. This includes an ability to find adjacent nodes in the inventory that are not in the diagram and place and connect them in the diagram.
  • Ability to specify the source, destination and service parameters for a node to node query.
  • Ability to save topology diagram in different image formats like GIF, BMP, JPEG, JPG and SVG etc. This allows users to repurpose, print and share the diagrams with team members.
  • A new Packet Tracer option provides the ability to inject a virtual packet, specified as source, destination, and service, into a selected subnet in the topology. PathFinder analyzes the routes from the selected subnet to determine where the packet should end up and then identifies how ACLs and NATs along the path would affect the packet. The specific devices allowing or denying the packet along the path are identified and highlighted on the diagram. You can drill down into the device configurations to see precisely the effect of each rule acting on the packet.

Athena’s PathFinder is available immediately. Licensing is based on the number of devices selected for topology modeling. The product currently supports the following:

  • Cisco Security Appliances: PIX, ASA(up to version 8.3), FWSM.
  • Cisco IOS routers: Version 12.0 to 12.14, excluding X* Series.
  • Juniper firewalls: Netscreen, SSG, ISG.
  • Check Point products: SmartCenter NG/NGX, Security Management R70
  • Check Point platforms: SecurePlatform, Check Point IPSO (formerly Nokia), Crossbeam, Linux, Solaris.

Support for additional device types and vendor platforms are released on a frequently updated basis.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.