Tipping The Security ScalesTipping The Security Scales

Faster network speeds and a greater number of security threats can pose serious problems for network managers. That has prompted companies of all sizes to seek speedier, more integrated security tools.

Security vendor TippingPoint Technologies Inc. last week revealed several network-based intrusion-prevention appliances that the company says can stop worms, viruses, and denial-of-service attacks. TippingPoint's UnityOne-400,-1200, and-2400 devices work at speeds of 400 Mbps, 1.2 Gbps, and 2.4 Gbps, respectively. The appliances can support more than 1 million concurrent sessions and 25,000 new sessions per second, the vendor says.

John Pescatore, a security analyst with Gartner, says many companies have been reluctant to try such appliances because they run in line with network traffic. "Performance is always a critical issue," he says, and business-technology managers are worried that in-line systems will slow performance. But TippingPoint's move to get its equipment's speed and performance claims verified by an independent testing lab at the Tolly Group should help allay those concerns. "You still have to rigorously test these appliances on your networks, but this gives good confidence it won't muck up your network while being in line," he says. Available now, the UnityOne-400,-1200, and-2400 are priced at $42,995, $64,995, and $89,995, respectively.