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Security Players Take Aim at Anonymous Proxies

A core element of good network policy is the ability to understand who users are and where they are going. Yet in businesses and schools everywhere, some users try to circumvent identification by using techniques that can, in some cases, anonymize their traffic. To combat the issue, a new generation of filtering technology is being […]

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SMK

Sean Michael Kerner

Jan 30, 2009

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A core element of good network policy is the ability to understand who users are and where they are going. Yet in businesses and schools everywhere, some users try to circumvent identification by using techniques that can, in some cases, anonymize their traffic.

To combat the issue, a new generation of filtering technology is being rolled out by vendors to identify when users are using Web proxies (define) to cover their tracks if they’re up to no good.

It’s an issue that affects all classes of technology users, and if not caught, could bring a network to a standstill, experts warn.

“A single filter-avoidance technique can blow apart an entire Internet usage policy,” Joe Lowry, director of channel development at Web security gateway vendor Cymphonix, told InternetNews.com. “People that are able to download large files can be disruptive for organizations, and we feel that the filter avoidance issues are huge.”

The news comes as the latest way that managers of business networks are seeking to strike a blow against the unprecedented threats they face. While the security and networking industries are busily developing and promoting new tools and innovations like Network Access Control to combat internal and external threats, data thieves and mischief-makers are growing ever more sophisticated.

But the threat posed by anonymous surfers is one area the industry may be near locking down. Cymphonix is set to release anonymous proxy protection next week for its network composer gateway security appliances. Web filtering vendor Webroot is also getting into the same approach with its Dynamic Anonymizer and Proxy Bypass technology in the new Webroot Web Security SaaS release this week.

“Dynamic Anonymizer and Proxy Bypass are a significant problem and have traditionally and primarily been a severe problem in the education sector,” Bryan Czarny, vice president of solutions marketing at Webroot, told InternetNews.com.

“With the rise of Web filtering adoption in the workplace, however, we are seeing a considerable increase in the use of these methods, and it is now becoming more mainstream,” he said. “The average Internet user can now build their own proxies that are not on any URL list. There are even instructions available on the Web, including on YouTube, to build these proxies for the explicit purpose of bypassing Web filtering solutions.”

Web acceleration and security vendor Blue Coat is also active in the anonymous proxy detection space, though it still sees more avoidance-related issues in the education area than in others.

“Visit any K-12 school environment and be prepared for the continuous efforts by students to get around any and all Web gateway controls,” Tom Clare, senior product marketing manager at Blue Coat, told InternetNews.com. “However, this changes in college as most Web gateways are fairly open, and then in work environments, an employee’s career and job is at risk for violating Web usage policies, the issue becomes smaller.”

This article was first published on InternetNews.com. To read the full article, click here.