RE: How to choose an IDS/FW MSS provider

["Andrew Plato" <andrew.plato () anitian com>]

Honestly, how many people, except security geeks like us, really care what is inside the signatures? Sure, its fun to 
look inside them and see what they are keying on, but since ISS signatures are not purely "match this string" kind of 
stuff that Snort does, its not that simple. And more importantly, who the heck has time to do that? In the zillions of 
Proventias and server sensors I've deployed, I don't think anybody has ever once asked me "gosh, can we see the 
signature code." They were to busy running their systems to obsess over the code inside signatures. 

I think the "I can't see the signatures, I don't trust them" argument isn't a viable reason to turn down an IPS/IDS 
vendor. If it was, then it would put Cisco, Symantec, TippingPoint, and just about everybody else with a 
high-performance IPS off the map. 

ISS MSS from our experience as an ISS reseller has been positive. But, I am an ISS reseller so I have to say that. 
Another that comes to mind is Counterpane. 

___________________________________
Andrew Plato, CISSP
President/Principal Consultant
ANITIAN  ENTERPRISE  SECURITY

3800 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Suite 280
Beaverton, OR 97005
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-----Original Message-----
From: Stephane [mailto:stephane.d () ecologie net] 
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 12:38 AM
To: Brady, Rick
Cc: "Melih Kirkgöz (Koç.net)"; focus-ids () securityfocus com
Subject: Re: How to choose an IDS/FW MSS provider

Brady, Rick wrote:

> Melih,
> I guess you must be special to ISS, from my experience the support has been sub-par. Also do you like the idea that 
> ISS IDS signatures are not known to the customer and only ISS ? 
>
> Rick Brady
> Liberty Mutual Group
> I/S TSSS Engineering Network Access Control 
> mailto:rick.brady () libertymutual com
> (603) 245-4214   8-435-4214sdn 
>  

Hi there,

What are you talking about? The support? do you mean people behind support () iss net or mss.support () iss net ?

What looks good with ISS, MSS Dept is that you have somehow the X-Force support http://xfoce.iss.net ; as far as I know 
and tell me if I am wrong, ISS is the only security provider having an R&D dept which is the X-Force team. My 
impression about Cisco IDS for example is that they just do follow the CERT to react (to react, this word is important, 
not to prevent). ISS supported by X-Force provides signatures sometimes a long time before the thread is even known. Do 
you want those guys to post those signatures to the mass in order to have Symatntec, Cisco or other Netscreen getting 
R&D free profits out of it? Not sure you'd do so.

Also, my question was about how to choose an IDS *AND* FW firewall. I know I am a bit out of the topic of this 
mailing-list but you can be good at IDS and maybe bad at firewalls which are much more complex through.

PS: and once again, ISS is in the gane for 10 long years. What about the competitors?

Thanks,

Stephane

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