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 Network security is an issue that has been traditionally solved with solid-state security software such as F-Secure® SSH™. Being able to administer servers, transfer files and secure applications with a simple, lightweight software solution available for almost all platforms has been the corner stone for turning on the security. As security threats have evolved, software maintenance service is gaining more importance.
Thinking back to the 90s, the network administrator could simply install software that could run for years with no need for critical updates; new threats were quite rare. Unfortunately this is not the case any more. Today one cannot be expected to deploy software and forget it; instead, attention is needed on what is going on in the field, and this is where we can help by actively looking for new threats and analyzing them accordingly. The nasty fact here is that there are still those systems that were deployed in the 90s that have not yet had a single update since deployment.
The business is in the networks. More and more people are connected and the tools for hacking into servers are easier to use and more widely available. The threat level is still increasing. This has not affected F-Secure SSH as it has affected other security solutions in the same field: The frequency of found vulnerabilities in the network security area has steadily increased, but we have not been affected, thanks to the high quality of the software (statistics source: National Institute of Standards and Technology).
Even though only a small fraction of vulnerability announcements have an effect on F-Secure, the down side is that the number of potential vulnerabilities is increasing, and validating these require heavy effort. This is what our unique SSH software maintenance service is all about: We keep our eyes open to the net and we deliver information and critical updates to customers as our support and maintenance service. We take away the extra work and associated cost of identifying real and false threats.
Identifying the real threat level in the network has always been difficult, because network intrusions have been a silent threat; it is difficult to detect someone who is only listening to the network. An example of a loud threat is a virus that spreads by sending tons of e-mail. While e-mail viruses are impossible to hide in a network environment, network attacks are easily hidden. For example, when a network server is hacked, no one may even know what is happening. When it is discovered no public statements are sent, the security is patched silently and the service may be offline for maybe one day.
F-Secure SSH has been available since 1996 and during this time we have developed the software quality internally and externally by doing external validations, such as FIPS-140-1 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This validation is required by US government organizations.
Author: Pasi Takala, Product Manager
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