What is an Application-Aware Perimeter Network?
Introduction
A perimeter network is a protective boundary used to protect an area from outside entities. It can be likened to the moat around a castle, protecting it from invaders and attackers. A perimeter network typically includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems, VPNs, and other security measures designed to prevent unauthorized access to company networks.
A perimeter system is different than a firewall in that it does not only include the software but also the physical aspects of protection such as closed-circuit cameras or guards at checkpoints. They are usually found at entrances or exits of buildings or campuses with restricted access points. The goal of this type of system is for authorized personnel only to enter within its boundaries while keeping outsiders out by restricting their ability to do so via various means including card readers, passwords, biometric measures, and other authentication processes.
What is an Application-Aware Perimeter Network?
A perimeter network is a network that separates the inside of your company from the outside. This means that any device on the inside cannot communicate with anything on the outside and vice versa.
An application-aware perimeter network can be configured to allow or deny access based on what type of traffic it detects. For example, if you have a web server running in your DMZ (demilitarized zone), then you would want to block all incoming connections from devices on the Internet but allow outgoing connections so that users can browse your site securely. You could also configure this system to only allow certain types of traffic such as HTTP requests for specific domains or a range of IP addresses.
How does it work?
An application-aware perimeter network operates by monitoring the transaction data, or payload, that is transmitted between computers. It also monitors metadata, which is information about the data payload, such as the time it was sent and the sender. Finally, it monitors what is called “classifiers” to identify what type of activity will originate from a given computer. If any one of these three criteria triggers an alarm, then the network prompts for authentication software before allowing any transmission to take place.
The application-aware perimeter network is commonly found in organizations where information security is taken very seriously. Industries like financial services, healthcare, and telecommunications are prime examples of the type of companies that use these types of networks. Application-aware perimeter networks can manage data transmissions in real-time for rapid responses to cyberattacks or Internet misuse by employees. The technology is built around the concept of “defense-in-depth”, which is a key element for maintaining data security.
What are the advantages of Application-Aware Perimeter Network?
Perimeters are the first line of defense for all computer systems, and firewalls are an integral part of any perimeter. A firewall is responsible for regulating incoming and outgoing traffic to the protected network. Recently, there has been a marked increase in malware that can easily bypass even the most hardened security devices. One way to mitigate this is to segregate traffic using application-aware perimeter networks.
An application-aware perimeter network is a network designed to protect against advanced persistent threats (APT). An APT is malware that attacks the application layer. This class of malware requires administrator or user intervention and can include rootkits, spyware, and other malware that targets individual machines.
What are the disadvantages of Application-Aware Perimeter Network?
There are a number of disadvantages that could arise from using an Application-Aware Perimeter Network. One disadvantage might be that there is a potential for certain traffic to bypass the network. For example, if a user creates a VPN connection, the traffic may go through the tunnel even though it should have been filtered. This could lead to a potentially insecure system or data leak.
Another disadvantage is that it is technically difficult to implement and maintain. It takes a lot of time and resources to monitor all of the traffic going through the networks. In addition, it is difficult to isolate different applications so that their traffic can be properly monitored.
Conclusion
Application-aware perimeter networks are a relatively new network security technology that helps organizations to control who has access to their sensitive data. They’re designed for today’s increasingly mobile workforce, and work by preventing unauthorized devices from gaining access to your company’s internal systems. These types of networks can be installed on any type of device or server, including PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and servers. They’re also location-aware, which means they can identify the device’s geographic location, to further prevent unauthorized access. The technology was built with the intention to prevent potentially harmful external packets from reaching your system’s network stack.
