Tag Archive for Arbor Networks

| July 9, 2016
Comments Off on Security Cam Concerns in Ann Arbor

Security Cam Concerns in Ann Arbor

Security Cam Concerns in Ann ArborNext time you are in Ann Arbor to get a bite to eat at Zingerman’s or attend a U of M football game at Michigan stadium someone may be watching you. NetworkWorld, says Ann Arbor is one of the top U.S. cities with the most unsecured security cameras. In fact, Ann Arbor ranks seventh nationally.

The report’s author, security firm Protection 1, analyzed the data from Insecam. Inseacam identifies open security cameras and Protection 1 estimates there are over 11,000 open security cameras on the Internet in the U.S. Protection 1 identified the cities with the most cameras that can be viewed by anyone online. The top 10 cities with unsecured security cameras are:

  1. open security camerasWalnut Creek, CA – 89.69 / 100,000 residents
  2. Richardson, TX – 72.74 / 100,000 residents
  3. Torrance, CA – 72.55 / 100,000 residents
  4. Newark, NJ – 38.07 / 100,000 residents
  5. Rancho Cucamonga, CA – 36.76 / 100,000 residents
  6. Corvallis, OR – 37.98 / 100,000 residents
  7. Ann Arbor, MI – 34.18 / 100,000 residents
  8. Orlando, FL – 34.05 / 100,000 residents
  9. Eau Claire, WI – 22.21 / 100,000 residents
  10. Albany, NY – 20.32 / 100,000 residents

using the manufacturer's default passwordOpen security cameras connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or a cable. They have no password protection or are using the manufacturer’s default password. Malicious people and governments can record or broadcast our lives from unprotected open security cameras. Open cameras are also vulnerable attacks that can turn them into bots.

From a privacy perspective, the most worrisome finding is that 15% of the open cameras are in Americans’ homes. Anyone can watch these cameras if the default password is not changed to a unique password to lock down the camera.

Besides being spied on from the web, open cameras can be exploited by criminals. Cyber-criminals can force online cameras to attack other things on the Internet as part of a DDoS attack.

distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)A DDoS attack against a jewelry shop website led to the discovery of a CCTV-based botnet. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one in which a multitude of compromised systems attack a single target, thereby causing a denial of service for users of the targeted system. TargetTech says the flood of incoming messages to the target system essentially forces it to shut down, thereby denying service to the system to legitimate users.

Help Net Security reports that Sucuri researchers discovered the jewelry site was being attacked by a CCTV botnet made up of 25,000+ cameras from around the globe. The website was first attacked by a layer 7 attack (HTTP Flood) at 35,000 HTTP requests per second and then, when those efforts were thwarted, with 50,000 HTTP requests per second.

Sucuri researchers discovered that all the attacking IP addresses had a similar default page with the ‘DVR Components’ title. After digging some more, they found that all these devices are BusyBox based. Busybox is a GNU-based software that aims to be the smallest and simplest correct implementation of the standard Linux command-line tools.

CCTV botnet made up of 25,000+ cameras from around the globeThe compromised CCTV cameras were located around the globe:

  • 24% originated from Taiwan,
  • 12% United States,
  • 9% Indonesia,
  • 8% Mexico,
  • and elsewhere.

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Unless something is done, security flaws, misconfiguration, and ignorance about the dangers of connecting unsecured devices to the IoT will keep these botnets functioning well into the future.

block or absorb malicious trafficTo protect your website from botnets and DDoS, you need to be able to block or absorb malicious traffic. Firms should talk to their hosting provider about DDoS attack protection. Can they route incoming malicious traffic through distributed caching to help filter out malicious traffic — reducing the strain on existing web servers. If not find a reputable third-party service that can help filter out malicious traffic.

DDoS defense services require a paid subscription, but often cost less than scaling up your own server capacity to deal with a DDoS attack.

Arbor Networks is one firm that provides services and devices to defend against DDoS.

Google has launched Project Shield, to use Google’s infrastructure to support free expression online by helping independent sites mitigate DDoS attack traffic.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| November 5, 2013
Comments Off on DDoS Attack Map

DDoS Attack Map

DDoS Attack MapHelp Net Security points out a report that DDoS attacks continue to be a global threat. The report is from Arbor Networks a leading provider of DDoS and advanced threat protection solutions for enterprise and service provider networks. Arbor has noted an alarming increase in distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack sizes this year. The Arbor Networks ATLAS monitors a significant part of all Internet traffic and found that DDoS attack size accelerating rapidly:

  • Arbor Networks logo54% of attacks year to date are over 1 Gbps.
  • 37% of attacks this year are in the 2 – 10 Gbps range.
  • 4% of all attacks are over 10 Gbps.
  • The 2013 average DDoS attack is 2.64 Gbps, up 78% from 2012.
  • The largest monitored and verified attack size was 191 Gbps.

DDoS Attack Map Tool

One way to visualize what these facts mean is the DDoS Attack Map Tool pointed out by Brad Reese.com. The tool, built by a collaboration between Arbor Networks and think tank Google Ideas presents a global map with a data visualization map of global distributed denial of service attacks. Google Ideas uses anonymous data from Arbor Networks’ ATLAS global threat monitoring systems. Atlas can monitor up to 69 Tbps of Internet traffic. Researchers and users can use the DDoS Attack Map Tool to explore historical trends in DDoS attacks. They can make their own connection to related news events on any given day. The data is updated daily, and historical data can be viewed for any country worldwide.

DDoS Attack Map Tool

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| November 1, 2011
Comments Off on Arbor Networks Adds 20 New Michigan Jobs

Arbor Networks Adds 20 New Michigan Jobs

Arbor Networks Adds 20 New Michigan JobsAnn Arbor.com reports that Information technology security firm Arbor Networks promises to add 20 new jobs to its Ann Arbor, Michigan R&D operations. In exchange, the Ann Arbor City Council unanimously agreed to give Arbor Networks a five-year abatement on $883,527 in real property improvements and $7.8 million in new personal property and equipment.

Aebor Networks logoThe tax break for the University of Michigan spin-off runs through Dec. 31, 2016. As part of the agreement, Arbor Networks will be required to add no less than 20 jobs by Dec. 31, 2013. The city’s administration recommended approval of the latest tax break, calling the attraction and retention of Arbor Networks’ operation consistent with the city’s economic growth objectives,

“The digital information business is continually changing with new and faster technology and Arbor Networks needs new test equipment and digital equipment, with anticipation of 20 new employees resulting to this facility,” City Assessor David Petrak wrote in a memo to council members.

Ann Arbor SPARK logoPaul Krutko, president and CEO of the  economic development group Ann Arbor SPARK also supported the action in a statement; “Attracting and retaining Arbor Networks in the Ann Arbor region is reflective of Ann Arbor SPARK’s work to help IT businesses grow in the region.”

Arbor Networks is a leading provider of network security and management solutions for next-generation data centers and carrier networks, including most of the world’s Internet service providers and many of the largest enterprise networks in use today. Arbor’s proven network security and management solutions help grow and protect customer networks, businesses and brands.

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The Michigan techie jobs story keeps growing and maybe I was wrong about Arbor Networks abandoning Michigan.

The information technology security firm will receive a five-year abatement on $883,527 in real property improvements and $7.8 million in new personal property and equipment.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| April 30, 2011
Comments Off on IPv4 Address Grey Market Emerges

IPv4 Address Grey Market Emerges

IPv4 Address Grey Market Emerges

The UK’s Register reports that depletion of the world’s IPv4 address space is spawning a new development in the Internet address space, IPv4 address trading. According to the Register, German Python developer Martin von Loewis launched a site called Tradipv4.com in March. The site is offering IPv4 addresses for $3 for v4 addresses in American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)  and $4 for those in the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC) region.

TradeIPv4IPv4 address trading, however, is still a grey market idea now. FireceTelecom reports that to make sure that unmanaged address transfers don’t compromise network operations or security, the Internet Society (ISOC) said that buyers and sellers should make sure any “transfers be affected per appropriate Regional Internet Registry (RIR) processes.” Citing its own estimate of prices reaching $11 per address, ISOC said, “We strongly urge that such transfers be affected per appropriate RIR processes.” Unmanaged address transfers will undermine network operations, and it could raise security issues since anonymous address spaces can be spoofed according to ISOC.

On their FAQ page, Tradeip4.com says its auctions can cover both the sale and lease of addresses, subject to RIR policies. Some of these policies, the site notes, have grey areas. For example, APNIC policy aims to discourage address transfer by applying what amounts to a 12-month embargo on the originating party receiving new addresses. However, Tradeip4.com dismisses this as irrelevant, since APNIC’s space is exhausted and no new blocks are being assigned according to FierceTelecom. Despite these concerns, Tradeip4.com, maintains that it can sell and lease IPv4 addresses and maintains that it follows RIR policies.

Internet SocietyThis is not just an SMB issue Microsoft (MSFT), recently bought Nortel’s IPv4 addresses (Which I wrote about here). Craig Labovitz, Chief Scientist for network security vendor Arbor Networks, told FierceTelecom that Nortel’s deal with Microsoft reflects how IPv4 depletion is becoming a more pressing issue, now that IPv4 is a scarce resource.

IPv4 addresses have not been a scarce resource and no one has had to pay more, but what really is starting to change is Microsoft spending money to buy Nortel’s IPv4 address space.  For the first time, there’s now a price associated with V4, and one you have a price you start having providers charge for it and start seeing people having a reason to care.

The Register article notes that the Canadian government, via its Industry Canada department, is also against the trade of IPv4 addresses, and it has weighed in on the sale of Nortel’s addresses to Microsoft. In a letter discussed on CircleID, Industry Canada expressed its support for the long-standing position that addresses are not property and therefore cannot be traded.

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I see several problems with the  IPv4 grey market. Trading in IPv4 is just another sign of resistance to IPv6. Firms with a global view have to realize that the reallocation of a handful of IPv4 will not make a difference in an IPv6 world. Another issue could be the routability of an IPv4 address originally assigned to APIC and traded on the grey market to RIPE. Right now there is no guarantee that these types of addresses will be recognized. There are also political issues, the Canadian government opposes the IP grey market. Industry Canada has expressed its support for the long-standing position that addresses are not property and therefore cannot be traded.

The ISOC says IPv4 addresses are worth $11.00, MSFT paid $11.25 and ARIN addresses are now (04-30-11) trading $7.00 per IP. on tradeipv4.com so MSFT appears to have overpaid for the Nortel address range. The bigger issue is the change in the nature of an IP address.

What do you think?

Are grey market IPv4 addresses worth it?

Has your firm started its transition to IPv6?

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| August 13, 2010
Comments Off on Another Tech Loss for Michigan?

Another Tech Loss for Michigan?

Another Tech Loss for Michigan?Earlier this week Texas-based Tektronix Communications announced it had acquired Arbor Networks, which makes software for network security and management. Arbor Networks employs about 90 people in Ann Arbor and 270 worldwide. According to Xconomy-Boston. Farnam Jahanian, who is chair of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, formed Arbor Networks in 2000 with Rob Malan, who was Jahanian’s Ph.D. student at the U-M and is now Arbor’s chief technology officer (he will stay on as CTO).

Arbor Network’s core technology, based on Malan’s and Jahanian’s research, involves software that monitors entire computer networks, from data centers and Internet service providers to broadband customers and mobile interfaces. According to the article, the firm’s products protect its customers against all manner of security threats, most notably, denial-of-service attacks that can shut down big networks and popular websites. Jahanian and Malan’s team raised a Series A venture round in 2000, led by Battery Ventures and Cisco Systems, and then a Series B round in 2002, led by Thomas Weisel Venture Partners. Those two rounds, the only outside funding taken by the company, were worth about $33 million.

Arbor CEO, Colin Doherty, told Xconomy-Boston that Danaher (NYSE: DHR), a Washington D.C.-based technology conglomerate, owns Tektronix Communications. According to Doherty, Arbor will stay “whole and intact as an operating unit under the Danaher brand.” The company will become part of Danaher’s communications and enterprise group which comprises a half-dozen companies, including Tektronix Communications, Fluke Networks, and AirMagnet.

Arbor will give its new parent company deep Internet security knowledge, what Doherty calls a “security beachhead.” Now “they can detect, secure, and mitigate network security. It was a really good fit for them,” he says. Doherty told xconomy.com that with Danaher’s size and influence, “it’s a unique opportunity for us to change our model…and be part of a larger public vehicle.” Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, and the principals at Arbor and Danaher weren’t saying much beyond the platitudes that typically follow such a merger.

For his part, Jahanian who is exiting the company calls the Danaher acquisition a natural next step in Arbor’s broader evolution. “It’s another inflection point,” he said in the article, and it will help the firm “expand into a new emerging market.” David Munson, the dean of engineering at the University of Michigan, says he is “heartened that the acquisition of Arbor Networks calls for Arbor’s research and development activity to remain in Ann Arbor. This is a cornerstone for Ann Arbor’s rapidly developing software and networking industry” in the article.

Doherty did not offer Xconomy.com many specifics on the new firm’s commitment to Michigan, other than the usual corporate platitudes that Arbor will “continue to grow our presence in Ann Arbor and in Chelmsford (MA).” However, even the U-M professor admits Michigan does not cut it for big-time Tech. “We knew we could build a phenomenal R&D team in Ann Arbor,” Jahanian says. “But to recruit the quality of executives [we wanted], we had to be either on the East or West Coast.” The combination of Battery Ventures being in the Boston area, the strong local business talent, and proximity to the East Coast’s big wireless carriers and Internet service providers swung the decision in Boston’s favor, he told Xconomy.com.

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From where I sit, the DHR product lines seem to be a good match for Arbor’s, but it is only a matter of time before the bean-counters in charge at DHR decide that even a “phenomenal R&D team in Ann Arbor” is too expensive and Michigan (and the US) will lose 90 more leading-edge, well-paying jobs.  Another example of how tech unaware Michigan is that Xconomy-Detroit did not cover this, the article came from Boston.

Related articles
  • Arbor Networks Partners With Ingram Micro in Asia Pacific to Help Enterprises Mitigate DDoS Threats to Their Businesses (prweb.com)

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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