Ascend Global Sales Accelerator: Secure Access FAQ

Products & Services

FIREWALL

Q. What is a Firewall?

A. A Firewall is a hardware/software tool that allows a network administrator to determine what type of users can access the resources on the network. The firewall provides a mechanism to monitor and funnel data from authorized users (only) through the firewall to and from the network. A firewall may be a software program that runs on a UNIX or other platforms or it may be a part of a proprietary operating system. A firewall by itself does not perform the routing function.

Q. Why would I need a firewall?

A. You will need a firewall to enforce the company's security policies and protect the resources on the network. Without a firewall, practically anyone can attempt to connect to hosts on your network and access valuable information that belongs to you or your company. With a firewall installed on your network you can control who can access the network. Additionally, the monitoring features within the Ascend Secure Access allow you to create an audit trail of attempts made to break into your network.

Q. If I install a firewall on the corporate LAN, does it protect the entire organization?

A. A firewall on the corporate LAN does provide limited protection against direct attacks on the corporate LAN by intruders. But, it does not protect against indirect attacks.
Without a firewall on the remote sites, intruders may break into your remote office LAN and then piggy-back on legitimate traffic from the remote office LAN and enter your corporate LAN. A firewall on the corporate LAN will interpret the traffic as coming from a legitimate source although the actual data may have originated from the intruder's location. The same is true of Telecommuter's LAN.

The best answer is to protect all networks thus securing the entire corporation.

FILTERING
Q.	Would static packet filtering provide the necessary security for my network?
A.	Static packet filtering offers security against novice hackers. You can configure the rules when you install the firewall and it will filter based on source/destination IP address. Static packet filtering does not have the intelligence to selectively open and close ports; it can either open all the high numbered ports (1024-65535) or close all the ports. If all ports are kept open, the intruders can break-in; If all the ports are closed then it will be intrusive to normal operation.

Q.	How is Ascend's Secure Access different from firewall products based on static filtering?
A.	Ascend's Secure Access dynamically adapts to the traffic. When a legitimate session is initiated, Ascend Secure Access monitors the requests to open ports between the terminating points. It opens ONLY those ports and keep other ports closed. When the session ends, Ascend Secure Access immediately closes the ports. No security holes left on the firewall for hackers to enter. Typically, static filters must keep the high numbered ports 1024-65535 open at all times; Static filters do not have the necessary intelligence to restrict opening of only those ports that are required for the session and keep the other ports closed.

ASCEND SECURE ACCESS
Q.	How do I configure Ascend Secure Access?
A.	Ascend offers Secure Access Manager (SAM), a Windows application program with graphical user interface (GUI) to configure Ascend Secure Access. Point and click on the options you would like to let the firewall passthrough. Applications that are not expressly permitted are denied for a more secure network. With Secure Access Manager, you can manage all Secure Access products from a central site over the network.

Q.	Do I need to buy a separate router to take advantage of the Ascend Secure Access?
A.	No. Ascend Secure Access is a firewall and a router - all in one. The Ascend Secure Access is an option for the Ascend's Pipeline and the MAX family of products. Current Pipeline and MAX customers may order the Ascend Secure Access as a separate option.

Q.	What Ascend platforms support Ascend Secure Access?