Barracuda Networks: Strengthening Enterprise Network Performance
Murali URS, Country Manager-India
Enterprise IT Security is constantly being redefined today on account of globalization and the increase in digital ecosystems, which in turn is urging organizations to move into advanced modes of threat control and monitoring. According to estimates from Gartner, the worldwide enterprise security spending is forecasted to grow by 8 percent and reach a total of USD 96.3 billion by the end of 2018, where the growth is being predominantly driven by organizations’ reactions to high profile cyber attacks and data breaches. In India particularly, IT Security has gained more relevance in recent times with the introduction of the Government’s Digital India program and the emergence of more and more E-commerce set-ups and mobile payment initiatives. However, despite this immense potential for growth within the IT Security segment, organizations still face challenges in securing their networks and crucial data owing to the lack of adequate infrastructure, lack of compliance with government regulations, shortage of skilled personnel to address issues and the inability to implement and manage multiple security technologies to counter the complete range of security threats inherent today. Moreover, the number of devices connected to today's networks have not only significantly increased the number of endpoints that companies must monitor but have also ramped up the amount of data traffic moving through these networks, thus convoluting network security controls. Perfectly understanding these different challenges, California headquartered Barracuda Networks steps forward to address them with a comprehensive suite of Security services, to help organizations bolster their network performance and protect their invaluable data assets.
Since its inception in 2002, Barracuda has been focused on providing security and data protection solutions, to solve mainstream IT problems efficiently and cost-effectively, while maintaining a high level of customer support and satisfaction. With a prominent global presence spanning across 15 countries and its Indian office located in Bangalore, Barracuda’s portfolio includes more than a dozen purpose built solutions that are designed to support every aspect of the network. The company thus equips organizations of all sizes with true end-to-end protection that can be deployed in hardware, virtual, cloud and hybrid deployment environments. “With more and more enterprises venturing into new technology adoption today, ensuring secure connectivity across a large distributed set of end points is a critical requirement for them,” reveals Murali Urs, Country Manager India, Barracuda Networks. “Security being our forte, Barracuda has a wide range of security capabilities across network, application, email and mobile security, to provide secure connectivity in alignment with today’s distributed deployment of security and our customers’ changing needs,” he goes on to add.
Barracuda’s expansive portfolio of offerings includes Network & Application Security solutions, i.e.CloudGen Firewall, Web Application Firewall(WAF), WAF -as-a-Service, Load Balancer ADC and Website Vulnerability Manager; Email Security & Archiving Services - Barracuda Essentials, Barracuda Sentinel, Barracuda PhishLine, Email Security Gateway, Archiving and Threat Scanner; and Data Protection through Barracuda Backup, Archiving and Disaster Recovery.
Securing Networks for Cloud-connected Organizations
The Cloud today has emerged as a disruptive technology that can completely transform the way enterprises use, share and store their data, applications and workloads. However, the steep increase in the volume of Cloud utilization has also ushered in more sophisticated threats which fail to be countered by traditional security strategies and firewalls. Acknowledging these concerns, Barracuda responds to them with its Network and Application Security suite, to provide a greater degree of security, network availability and accessibility to Cloud-hosted applications. The suite which is inclusive of the CloudGen Firewall, Web Security and Filtering, Web Application Firewall, Load Balancer ADC and Web Vulnerability Manager, has been designed to ensure secure reliable connectivity among multiple sites on premises and the cloud with consumption-based pricing, to cut down on infrastructure costs for customers.
As a family of hardware, virtual, and Cloud-based appliances, Barracuda’s CloudGen Firewall serves as a distributed network optimization solution that can scale across any number of locations and applications, to connect on premises and Cloud infrastructures. Through integrating a comprehensive set of next-generation firewall technologies, including Layer 7 application profiling, intrusion prevention, web filtering, malware and advanced threat protection, anti spam protection, and network access control, the CloudGen Firewall delivers advanced security for dispersed network infrastructures. Furthermore, Barracuda’s CloudGen Firewall combines highly resilient VPN technology with intelligent traffic management and WAN optimization capabilities, to reduce line costs, increase overall network availability, improve site-to-site connectivity, and ensure uninterrupted access to applications hosted in the cloud. The product's ability to provide tight integration with Cloud platforms, secure branch-to-cloud connectivity, and create central management of security at the source, is what makes it ideal for multisite enterprises, managed service providers, and other organizations with complex, dispersed network infrastructures.
Accelerating Vulnerability Detection and Remediation
In addition to the CloudGen Firewall, Barracuda has also developed a Web Application Firewall(WAF)with advanced inspection capabilities to help organizations defeat the most sophisticated and complex threats. Outlining the capabilities of the WAF, Murali explains, “As soon as our global threat intelligence network identifies a new threat or vulnerability, the WAF comes into play to patch the vulnerability and block the threat, thereby ensuring that vulnerabilities in your apps are immediately eliminated before they can be noticed and consequently protect you from data loss.” The WAF also combines reverse proxy based security with built in application delivery features such as SSL offloading, load balancing and content caching, to improve application performance and availability, reduce lag time and provide a more consistent experience for customers.
" Barracuda’s Cloudgen Firewall Serves As A Distributed Network Optimization Solution That Can Scale Across Any Number Of Locations And Applications, To Connect On-Premises And Cloud Infrastructures"
Moreover, as an integration of the WAF and its Website Vulnerability Manager, Barracuda provides its Vulnerability Remediation Service which leverages the detection capabilities of the Vulnerability Manager and steps in to automatically fix web application vulnerabilities as well as continually patch them as they arise during development. Through eliminating costly, time consuming, and error-prone manual security audits, the Vulnerability Remediation Service accelerates and streamlines application development cycles for its users. Barracuda’s WAF also provides an add-on service in the form of Barracuda Active DDoS Prevention to help organizations filter out volumetric DDoS attacks before they reach their network, and protect themselves from sophisticated application DDoS attacks and costly service outages.
A Layered Defense Approach to Email Protection
With 75-90 percent of targeted cyber attacks starting on email, businesses have become increasingly susceptible to interruption of business operations, financial damage and the loss of business integrity. Barracuda helps organizations defend themselves against these ramifications through extending traditional email security with a multifaceted approach that protects all aspects of the email infrastructure. This multilayer approach begins with the Gateway Defense Layer where the company employs its Email Security Gateway solution, to manage and filter all inbound and outbound email traffic. Barracuda also offers Advanced Threat Protection(ATP) against targeted attacks along with Data Leakage Protection and Email Encryption to secure email transmissions.
This is followed by the Email Resiliency Layer, where the company employs Barracuda Essentials, an all-in-one Email security, Backup and Archiving solution that protects business emails and data in Office 365, Microsoft Exchange and G Suite, while adhering to compliance, email retention and legal requirements. The third part of this approach is the Fraud Protection Layer, where the company focuses on detecting Email Fraud and Phishing attacks, which after identification are quarantined in real-time, with administrators being notified of the attempted attack. Barracuda accomplishes this with the help of Barracuda Sentinel, an AI-powered solution designed to detect and block spear phishing attacks in real-time. Finally, the company delivers extensive user security awareness training as a part of the User Security Awareness Layer, to increase awareness on sophisticated phishing and socially engineered spear phishing attacks. To bring this about, the company uses its recently acquired Phishline, an antiphishing training and simulation platform, to train employees to understand the latest attack techniques, recognize subtle clues, and sharpen their antiphishing skills with advanced phishing simulations, end-user testing, reporting, and comprehensive metrics that will prompt them to take meaningful action against threats.
Future Engagements:
Having operated in this domain for over 15 years, Barracuda Networks has grown immensely over this period and has emerged as a reputed solutions provider known not only for its innovations in security, but also for the simplicity of its offerings and emphasis on client support. Leveraging this position, the company has defined a clear blueprint for its future, where Barracuda intends to impart more security training through PhishLine to counter evolving and sophisticated attack techniques. The company also hopes to augment the deployment of Barracuda Sentinel as well as engineer more innovations in Security in the upcoming future.
Enabling Protection Of Business-Critical Data Barracuda Backup:
Protection Of Data In Today’s Complex Infrastructures Including On-Premises, Virtual, Cloud-Hosted, And Saas Environments Presents Challenges That Most Backup Solutions Don’t Adequately Meet. Barracuda’s Answer To These Problems Is The Barracuda Backup Solution Which Has Been Designed Exclusively For Cloud-Integrated Systems, With The Flexibility To Easily Back Up Data Wherever It Resides. Built On A Hardened Linux Operating System To Protect Against Malware And Ransomware Infections, Barracuda Backup Not Only Ensures Efficient Storage Of Data With Longer Retention Periods, But Also Allows For Anytime Recovery Of Data, Should A Customer Be Infected By Ransomware. The Solution Also Offers The Capability To Replicate The Data To The Barracuda Cloud, Amazon Web Services(Aws), Or A Private Location As Per The User’s Choice.
Barracuda Archiving:
Built On Cloud-Based Archiving Capabilities, Barracuda’s Archiving Solutions Capture And Store Data Securely For As Long As Required, Without The Risk Of Amendment Or Deletion. Designed For Easy Implementation And Management, These Solutions Can Meet Demanding Compliance Requirements And Respond To E-Discovery Requests Quickly And Easily, Thereby Equipping Enterprises With A Centralized Way Of Managing Data, Reducing Their Email Storage Requirements And Boosting User Productivity.
Security Being Our Forte, Barracuda Has A Wide Range Of Security Capabilities Across Network, Application, Email And Mobile Security, To Provide Secure Connectivity In Alignment With Today’s Distributed Deployment Of Security And Our Customers’ Changing Needs
In addition to the CloudGen Firewall, Barracuda has also developed a Web Application Firewall(WAF)with advanced inspection capabilities to help organizations defeat the most sophisticated and complex threats. Outlining the capabilities of the WAF, Murali explains, “As soon as our global threat intelligence network identifies a new threat or vulnerability, the WAF comes into play to patch the vulnerability and block the threat, thereby ensuring that vulnerabilities in your apps are immediately eliminated before they can be noticed and consequently protect you from data loss.” The WAF also combines reverse proxy based security with built in application delivery features such as SSL offloading, load balancing and content caching, to improve application performance and availability, reduce lag time and provide a more consistent experience for customers.
" Barracuda’s Cloudgen Firewall Serves As A Distributed Network Optimization Solution That Can Scale Across Any Number Of Locations And Applications, To Connect On-Premises And Cloud Infrastructures"
Moreover, as an integration of the WAF and its Website Vulnerability Manager, Barracuda provides its Vulnerability Remediation Service which leverages the detection capabilities of the Vulnerability Manager and steps in to automatically fix web application vulnerabilities as well as continually patch them as they arise during development. Through eliminating costly, time consuming, and error-prone manual security audits, the Vulnerability Remediation Service accelerates and streamlines application development cycles for its users. Barracuda’s WAF also provides an add-on service in the form of Barracuda Active DDoS Prevention to help organizations filter out volumetric DDoS attacks before they reach their network, and protect themselves from sophisticated application DDoS attacks and costly service outages.
A Layered Defense Approach to Email Protection
With 75-90 percent of targeted cyber attacks starting on email, businesses have become increasingly susceptible to interruption of business operations, financial damage and the loss of business integrity. Barracuda helps organizations defend themselves against these ramifications through extending traditional email security with a multifaceted approach that protects all aspects of the email infrastructure. This multilayer approach begins with the Gateway Defense Layer where the company employs its Email Security Gateway solution, to manage and filter all inbound and outbound email traffic. Barracuda also offers Advanced Threat Protection(ATP) against targeted attacks along with Data Leakage Protection and Email Encryption to secure email transmissions.
This is followed by the Email Resiliency Layer, where the company employs Barracuda Essentials, an all-in-one Email security, Backup and Archiving solution that protects business emails and data in Office 365, Microsoft Exchange and G Suite, while adhering to compliance, email retention and legal requirements. The third part of this approach is the Fraud Protection Layer, where the company focuses on detecting Email Fraud and Phishing attacks, which after identification are quarantined in real-time, with administrators being notified of the attempted attack. Barracuda accomplishes this with the help of Barracuda Sentinel, an AI-powered solution designed to detect and block spear phishing attacks in real-time. Finally, the company delivers extensive user security awareness training as a part of the User Security Awareness Layer, to increase awareness on sophisticated phishing and socially engineered spear phishing attacks. To bring this about, the company uses its recently acquired Phishline, an antiphishing training and simulation platform, to train employees to understand the latest attack techniques, recognize subtle clues, and sharpen their antiphishing skills with advanced phishing simulations, end-user testing, reporting, and comprehensive metrics that will prompt them to take meaningful action against threats.
Future Engagements:
Having operated in this domain for over 15 years, Barracuda Networks has grown immensely over this period and has emerged as a reputed solutions provider known not only for its innovations in security, but also for the simplicity of its offerings and emphasis on client support. Leveraging this position, the company has defined a clear blueprint for its future, where Barracuda intends to impart more security training through PhishLine to counter evolving and sophisticated attack techniques. The company also hopes to augment the deployment of Barracuda Sentinel as well as engineer more innovations in Security in the upcoming future.
Enabling Protection Of Business-Critical Data Barracuda Backup:
Protection Of Data In Today’s Complex Infrastructures Including On-Premises, Virtual, Cloud-Hosted, And Saas Environments Presents Challenges That Most Backup Solutions Don’t Adequately Meet. Barracuda’s Answer To These Problems Is The Barracuda Backup Solution Which Has Been Designed Exclusively For Cloud-Integrated Systems, With The Flexibility To Easily Back Up Data Wherever It Resides. Built On A Hardened Linux Operating System To Protect Against Malware And Ransomware Infections, Barracuda Backup Not Only Ensures Efficient Storage Of Data With Longer Retention Periods, But Also Allows For Anytime Recovery Of Data, Should A Customer Be Infected By Ransomware. The Solution Also Offers The Capability To Replicate The Data To The Barracuda Cloud, Amazon Web Services(Aws), Or A Private Location As Per The User’s Choice.
Barracuda Archiving:
Built On Cloud-Based Archiving Capabilities, Barracuda’s Archiving Solutions Capture And Store Data Securely For As Long As Required, Without The Risk Of Amendment Or Deletion. Designed For Easy Implementation And Management, These Solutions Can Meet Demanding Compliance Requirements And Respond To E-Discovery Requests Quickly And Easily, Thereby Equipping Enterprises With A Centralized Way Of Managing Data, Reducing Their Email Storage Requirements And Boosting User Productivity.
Security Being Our Forte, Barracuda Has A Wide Range Of Security Capabilities Across Network, Application, Email And Mobile Security, To Provide Secure Connectivity In Alignment With Today’s Distributed Deployment Of Security And Our Customers’ Changing Needs
