Since you can't see the signature, how do you know they aren't doing simple
string matching? Second, obviously you aren't very familiar with Snort's rule
language, it isn't just simple string matching, there is a *ton* of other logic
available to reduce false positives/negatives. Snort also has conveniently had
support for PCRE matching for a long time now.
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Plato [mailto:andrew.plato@anitian.com]
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 1:42 PM
To: Stephane; rick.brady@libertymutual.com
Cc: focus-ids@securityfocus.com
Subject: RE: How to choose an IDS/FW MSS provider
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
503-644-5656 Office
503-214-8069 Fax
503-201-0821 Mobile
www.anitian.com
___________________________________
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GPG public key available at: http://www.anitian.com/corp/keys.htm
-----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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