Cisco, Trend Micro forge alliance on network security

Two industry heavyweights have joined hands to provide tougher security tools for local companies in the light of increased virus and worm outbreaks that attack corporate network systems.

Cisco Systems Inc. and Trend Micro Inc. announced a global collaboration to deliver comprehensive virus and worm outbreak prevention solutions to help protect networked businesses.

The new agreement is an extension of the companies’ relationship previously estab-lished in the Cisco Network Admission Control (NAC) program, and will integrate Cisco network infrastructure and security solutions with Trend Micro’s antivirus technologies, vulnerability assessment, and real-time outbreak prevention capabilities.

Security has become high on companies’ agenda, especially now that virus writers and other kinds of intruders have in their disposal more sophisticated tools to carry out an attack, says Jeffery Sy, business managing director of Trend Micro Phils.

He also noted that the time to patch systems to prevent virus and worm outbreaks is fast shrinking so companies must be more proactive in their security strategies.

The partnership of Cisco and Trend Micro is focused on providing Cisco enterprise customers with solutions that can dramatically improve network security.

It will integrate Trend Micro’s network virus and worm signatures with the Cisco Intrusion Detection System (IDS) software deployed in Cisco IOS routers, Cisco Catalyst switches, and Cisco security appliances.

This will provide customers with advanced network antivirus intelligence and an added layer of real-time threat defense from known and unknown network worm attacks.

The partnership is based on the Cisco Self-Defending Net-work security strategy designed to help customers identify, prevent and adapt to security threats by having more resilient and secure networked business systems, said Luichi Robles, country manager of Cisco Systems Phils.

Robles noted a healthy increase in sales for Cisco’s security offerings in the last few quarters, highlighting the growing awareness among local enterprises to defend their IT assets from cyber intruders.

Sy is hopeful the number or rate of security breaches and problems among local companies will drop this year if their spending on security software is any indication.

Figures from market resear-cher IDC Corp. pegged total damage from worm and virus outbreaks in 2003 at $2.15 billion worldwide.

The partnership also advances Trend Micro’s Enterprise Protection Strategy (EPS), which provides proactive management of the virus and worm outbreak lifecycle.

This effort also underscores the need to employ multiple levels of defense in addressing complex and ever-changing security threats.

"While file-based and mass-mailing viruses remain constant, Internet worms are now the more significant threat to organiza-tions worldwide," said Sy. "We need to combat these mixed-Internet threats which take advantage of network and software vulnera-bilities like the recent Sasser, MyDoom, NetSky worm."

Cisco essentially licensed the additional Trend Micro techno-logy that will be made available in different phases, Robles said.

The partnership allows both companies to offer vulnerability assessment, outbreak prevention and damage clean-up.

Sy said Cisco customers will also be supported by the 400-man Trend Micro support global facility in the country.

The initiative will be rolled out in the country by six of Cisco’s security specialist partners. Existing customers can either upgrade to the new software solutions for a fee or for free if it’s part of their existing service contracts.