McAfee Network IPS Recognized By NSS Labs

Customers need independent testing and review of network solutions in order to make intelligent decisions when building infrastructures.  This can be doubly important when network security is at stake.  NSS Labs just raised the bar for independent, third-party testing of Network Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) with their Q4 2009 Network IPS Comparative Test Report.  

In their rigorous evaluation of 15 leading IPS solutions from seven vendors, NSS Labs tested security effectiveness against a total of 1,159 attacks on products such as Windows, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft SharePoint.  Security effectiveness ratings covered a broad range, but there is one aspect of the testing that is arguably the most important and that is the vendors’ ability to respond to “evasions,” or attacks delivered in an obfuscated manner in order to hide.

An IPS product must be able to adapt to these so-called evasions as often they consist of simply re-using well-known exploits in an obfuscated form.  With the public availability of software tools to aid in the evasion of IPS solutions, it could be argued that the ability to adapt to these evasions is not just important but absolutely essential.  No matter how highly effective an IPS solution claims to be at blocking security exploits, if it can be bypassed with simple evasion techniques available to even low-level hackers, then the IPS solution is practically worthless. 

Independent, third-party testing like that provided by NSS Labs will be increasingly important as security professionals strive to protect their networks in an ever-evolving threat landscape.  Pay special attention in this case to an IPS vendors’ ability to adapt to evasion techniques and stick with products with strong security heritage.

Tags: IPS, Network Security