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Protect Against Bleeding Data At Your Network Edge

October 22, 2014

The edge of your network is where the battle over your network security takes place. These functions are far more intelligent than that which occurs within your network core. 

Examples of the type of action occurring at your network edge include:
  • Web applications on virtual platforms
  • Next-generation filtering
  • Network monitoring
  • Data breaches
  • Intrusion detection and prevention

But, with so many in-line appliances and tools operating on the edge, you run the risk of oversubscription. Should this happen, the protection system you’ve built no longer provides its intended benefit – and this is where your data could bleed and become compromised.

As a Network World article puts it, “Many of the tools and configurations [involve] a performance tradeoff, and some can introduce security vulnerabilities. Even the ones that are supposed to be securing your network.”

For example, if you leverage intricate content filtering and packet parameters, the complexity often significantly slows your throughput.

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Protect Your Network Core And Data

Implementing the correct edge devices on your network is more crucial than on any other layer. An edge connector is a type of device that is instrumental in protecting your information.

Edge connectors access and direct network traffic from multiple network layers to your many in-line and passive appliances. To ensure that these tools are able to properly keep your network secure, an edge connector filters and load-balances to free up room for each individual application to do its job. Because this device’s fundamental purpose is to prevent oversubscription (and network downtime), it ensures that your network is always under the supervision of the security tools you’ve invested in.

Learn More

Garland Technology recently created a SlideShare presentation that details the network edge and its devices, including the EdgeLens. Watch it now to help further your understanding of this critical network layer and protect your data. Also, use it to help educate your colleagues on this important piece of your network's infrastructure and protection.

If you want to learn more about the ins and outs of security necessities, download our latest white paper, Managing the Edge of the Network.

See Everything. Secure Everything.

Contact us now to secure and optimized your network operations
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Heartbeats Packets Inside the Bypass TAP

If the inline security tool goes off-line, the TAP will bypass the tool and automatically keep the link flowing. The Bypass TAP does this by sending heartbeat packets to the inline security tool. As long as the inline security tool is on-line, the heartbeat packets will be returned to the TAP, and the link traffic will continue to flow through the inline security tool.

If the heartbeat packets are not returned to the TAP (indicating that the inline security tool has gone off-line), the TAP will automatically 'bypass' the inline security tool and keep the link traffic flowing. The TAP also removes the heartbeat packets before sending the network traffic back onto the critical link.

While the TAP is in bypass mode, it continues to send heartbeat packets out to the inline security tool so that once the tool is back on-line, it will begin returning the heartbeat packets back to the TAP indicating that the tool is ready to go back to work. The TAP will then direct the network traffic back through the inline security tool along with the heartbeat packets placing the tool back inline.

Some of you may have noticed a flaw in the logic behind this solution!  You say, “What if the TAP should fail because it is also in-line? Then the link will also fail!” The TAP would now be considered a point of failure. That is a good catch – but in our blog on Bypass vs. Failsafe, I explained that if a TAP were to fail or lose power, it must provide failsafe protection to the link it is attached to. So our network TAP will go into Failsafe mode keeping the link flowing.

Glossary

  1. Single point of failure: a risk to an IT network if one part of the system brings down a larger part of the entire system.

  2. Heartbeat packet: a soft detection technology that monitors the health of inline appliances. Read the heartbeat packet blog here.

  3. Critical link: the connection between two or more network devices or appliances that if the connection fails then the network is disrupted.

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