HP filters out BitTorrent and eDonkey file-sharing sites

HP's AppDV can mitigate against social network threats

BARCELONA: HP has revealed new firewall software as part of its TippingPoint security suite.

The firm announced Application Digital Vaccine (AppDV), which it said will allow network administrators to easily block certain types of content on their networks. The software will come with pre-packaged filters for troublesome applications such as BitTorrent, eDonkey and certain web sites, though HP would not disclose which ones.

Marius Haas, senior vice president and general manager for HP Networking, put particular emphasis on the growing use of social networks in the workplace. According to Haas, there has been a 37 per cent growth in social media at work resulting in a productivity drop of about two per cent.

Haas claimed that should usage continue to grow, the negative impact on productivity will escalate and bring with it possible security risks.

He said that there was therefore a need for "combined application security" and that HP's TippingPoint suite can provide "zero day" patches – an average of 45 days before other software vendors, he claimed.

AppDV, however, aims to stop infections taking place by limiting network access to internet services.

Haas told V3.co.uk that HP offered pre-packaged filters but it was down to the customer to decide what to put into place. He confirmed that the shipping configuration will not have any filters enabled and that its TippingPoint suite does not record actual traffic at any point.

Haas also talked about the added challenge that wireless networks bring to security both in terms of hardware and software.

"Wireless is the fastest-growing network interface," said Haas, adding that it also results in added development time for security features such as those found in TippingPoint. Challenges included capacity, performance scaling and load balancing while maintaining security.

Recently, social networks have proven to be a breeding ground for various malware attacks, with operators coming under increasing pressure to bolster security.

With AppDV, HP believes that network administrators should not have to rely on others to limit exposure, instead offering proactive measures against possible infection and downtime.