Sourcefire Expands Real-Time Application Awareness, Extending Leadership of Intelligent Cybersecurity Solutions

WOKINGHAM, England--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Sourcefire, Inc. (Nasdaq:FIRE), the creators of Snort® and a leader in intelligent cybersecurity solutions, today announced enhancements that provide the Sourcefire IPS, the industry’s leading intrusion prevention system (IPS), with real-time visibility into the specific applications running on an organization’s network. Sourcefire is expanding its existing library of more than 200 application detectors by adding support for popular applications and services such as Gmail, HTTP and RSS, making it easier than ever to tailor IPS protection, assess the impact of threats, and enforce IT policy compliance.

“By further extending our application visibility, Sourcefire is providing users with the comprehensive intelligence they need to defend their dynamically changing networks against today’s most sophisticated threats.”

“Single-purpose technologies, like firewalls and traditional IPS devices, don’t provide a combined view into the context or depth of users, applications, devices and data on the network. For truly effective protection and policy management, organizations need real-time visibility of everything on the network,” said John Burris, Chief Executive Officer of Sourcefire. “By further extending our application visibility, Sourcefire is providing users with the comprehensive intelligence they need to defend their dynamically changing networks against today’s most sophisticated threats.”

Sourcefire’s real-time application awareness capability provides users with increased network visibility, so they can better protect against application-specific threats. It offers numerous advantages over a traditional IPS, including:

• Automating the process of IPS tuning, based on specific knowledge of the network for increased security and reduced management;
• Providing automated and informed impact assessment of potential threats by correlating attacks against the device, operating system, applications and potential vulnerabilities, significantly reducing the number of actionable events;
• Monitoring and enforcing IT Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs), enabling IT to identify and remove unapproved operating systems and applications, thereby reducing the exposure to an attack and staying compliant.

Sourcefire can already identify more than 200 operating systems and applications including Microsoft Windows, Oracle databases, leading email programs and web browsers, popular instant messenger services, peer-to-peer applications and even gaming systems such as Xbox and Wii. Beginning with the Sourcefire 3D System 4.9.1 release, available now, the company has expanded its detection to an additional 12 common services and client applications, including SSH, Google Desktop, Gmail, MySpace, Picasa, RSS and popular HTTP services such as Audio, Video, QuickTime and Flash.