McAfee Network Security Platform

McAfee Network Security Platform

Advanced, proven intrusion prevention for every network-connected device across the enterprise

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Overview

McAfee, the global leader in network intrusion prevention systems (IPS), delivers unprecedented levels of security while offering flexible deployment options that allow organizations to optimize investments in network security. McAfee Network Security Platform provides category-best security effectiveness, scalable multigigabit performance, and next-generation network IPS controls that take the guesswork out of network security management.

With Network Security Platform you get a unified network security solution for physical and virtual environments that streamlines security operations and protects your business from the latest network security threats, including malware, zero-day attacks, botnets, denial-of-service attempts, and advanced targeted attacks. It enables you to take control of your network with predictive threat intelligence, application visibility and control, network behavior analysis, and real-time threat awareness.

Webcast: Gartner Defines Next-Generation IPS

Features & Benefits

Get class-leading protection

McAfee Network Security Platform delivers better out-of-the-box security effectiveness than most network intrusion prevention systems (IPS) achieve after significant tuning. With tens of thousands of sensors deployed worldwide, Network Security Platform is the industry’s most proven and effective network IPS for preventing preventing security threats, including advanced malware, zero-day threats, denial-of-service attacks, and botnets.

Attain multigigabit performance

Never let network security get in the way of network performance. Network Security Platform combines a single-pass, protocol-based inspection architecture with purpose-built, carrier-class hardware to achieve real-world inspection of over 10 Gbps in a single network security appliance even with full protection enabled.

Improve security effectiveness with predictive threat intelligence

Boost in-line prevention of traditional and emerging attacks with McAfee Global Threat Intelligence (GTI). McAfee GTI assesses the reputation of network communications based on billions of unique file, IP, URL, protocol, and geo-location data around the globe.

Enable application awareness and control

Make informed decisions about how applications and protocols are used on your network. Network Security Platform is the first and only network intrusion prevention solution to combine advanced threat prevention and application awareness into a single security decision engine. It correlates threat activity with application usage through Layer 7 visibility of over 1,100 applications and protocols.

Expand network visibility

See further into your network than ever before and get a clear understanding of system, application, and user behavior with network anomaly detection. Network Security Platform dramatically extends the purview of traditional network IPS to easily identify bots and other malicious activity by analyzing flow data from switches and routers anywhere in the enterprise.

Implement context-aware security

Get aggressive with network security without the risk of increasing false positives. McAfee correlates data across several sources — McAfee GTI, vulnerability scans, application behavior, and system behavior — to confidently identify network attacks and automatically prevent malicious activity.

Enable built-in access control

Add the optional McAfee Network Access Control (NAC) software to turn Network Security Platform into a NAC device that offers pre- and post-admission control, identity-based access control, host quarantine, and enforceable access policies.

Manage security. Manage risk.

Give your organization a consolidated view of risk and compliance across the enterprise. Network Security Platform integrates directly with McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) to provide up-to-the-minute assessments of at-risk infrastructure based on system vulnerabilities, network defenses, and endpoint security configurations.

Demos / Tutorials

Demos

Network Security Platform includes application visibility and control of over 1,100 applications and protocols.

Prevent denial-of-service attempts through connection limiting based on geo-location, IP reputation, and a number of other factors.

Network Security Platform incorporates McAfee Global Threat Intelligence to check the reputation of network communications based on billions of unique file, IP, URL, protocol, and geo-location data around the globe.

Leverage advanced heuristics to detect botnet activity, SQL injections, and other threats against your networks.

Tutorials

Awards / Reviews

Gartner
Magic Quadrant for Network Intrusion Prevention System Appliances

McAfee is a security brand well-known for its host-based products, and it is one of the few security companies to have successful network security products.

NSS Labs 2010 Network IPS Individual Report for M-8000

McAfee announced that the McAfee Network Security Platform M-8000 appliance scored highest in accuracy and throughput in recent comparative tests from NSS Labs. The results reflect McAfee’s commitment to unparalleled threat protection, network performance and operational excellence — all of which have been externally validated by independent reviewers, labs, analysts, and most importantly, customers.

Customer Stories

Abtran

McAfee security risk management solutions help Abtran meet clients’ increasing security requirements.

Highlights
  • Provided multiple layers of security risk management protection for Abtran’s clients
  • Reduced IT hours spent supporting, administering, and monitoring endpoint security
  • Cut time to produce weekly security reports from three or four hours to less than two minutes
  • Migrated easily and seamlessly from existing anti-virus solutions

Adena Health System

Adena Health System protects critical network services with McAfee Network Security Platform.

Highlights
  • Delivered complete perimeter protection for a large, regional network
  • Immediately identified malicious traffic
  • Effectively blocked threats and reclaimed network bandwidth
  • Reduced the cost of protection while simplifying management
  • Scaled easily to meet network growth

Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell

Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell uses McAfee Network Security Platform to secure 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps corporate networks against threats and attacks.

Highlights
  • Increased identification and interception of up to 99% of the threats
  • Improved the work efficiency and allowed the information security and network departments to cooperate with each other in monitoring security threats and risks

Boston Medical Center

McAfee helps protect vital services for Boston Medical Center.

Highlights
  • Dramatically reduced denial-of-service (DoS) attacks from 8.4 million per day to zero
  • Integrated security product management through McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO)
  • Reduced time needed to roll out upgrades
  • Improved threat detection

Cardnet

Cardnet eliminates malware infections with comprehensive network, email, and endpoint security from McAfee.

Highlights
  • Total absence of known infections of any kind
  • Protected the entire IT infrastructure
  • Maintained IT security with a staff of three, versus 20 or more if the McAfee suite was not in place

Citrix Systems

Citrix reduces risk with McAfee’s integrated security risk management platform.

Highlights
  • Deployed quickly and easily, saving $40,000 in deployment costs
  • Reduced incident response rate by 40% and overall TCO of security risk management
  • Dramatically eased security administration and accelerated patch deployment
  • Reduced remediation time by 70%

City of St. Paul

McAfee bolsters security for the City of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Highlights
  • Hardened network against intrusion
  • Protected 3,300 endpoints against virus and spam attacks
  • Safeguarded the city’s network 100% from attacks via unsecured physical sites
  • Delivered powerful functionality, ease of use, and simplified administration

Dawnay Day AV

Comprehensive and easy-to-manage security from McAfee protects Dawnay Day's network and endpoints from attacks.

Highlights
  • Protected 1,200 endpoints against virus attacks
  • Proactively strengthened the company’s network
  • Delivered powerful functionality, ease of use, and simplified administration

DSM

DSM enlists McAfee to strengthen enterprise network security control and compliance.

Highlights
  • Provided full visibility into network traffic and connected systems
  • Simplified patch management
  • Improved compliance with regulations and policies
  • Increased efficiencies for significant cost savings

HCF

HCF gets comprehensive anti-malware protection and streamlined security management with McAfee.

Highlights
  • Smooth implementation
  • Easy identification of vulnerable areas
  • Meaningful reports for IT administrators who are only advised about attacks that are relevant to the environment
  • Enabled automatic enforcement of security policies; ensuring network integrity
  • Automation of patch management freed up IT staff to focus on strategic work

Idaho State Tax Commission

Idaho State Tax Commission chooses McAfee to embed security in a new network infrastructure.

Highlights
  • Identified vulnerabilities and blocked threats
  • Delivered reliable endpoint protection
  • Enabled compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security guidelines
  • Provided support for the commission’s defense-in-depth security strategy
  • Helped increase security awareness among network users

James Tower

McAfee keeps James Tower secure and compliant with industry regulations.

Highlights
  • Reduced time required to push out the most current security and virus patches to minutes, rather than hours or days
  • Used to apply patches, updates, settings, and other security measures consistently across all systems
  • Dramatically reduced audit time as well as time to build and maintain servers
  • Provided fast, accurate profiling of all systems
  • Facilitated decision making through a centralized, consolidated dashboard and robust reporting

Mainova AG

McAfee powers network security for energy supplier Mainova AG.

Highlights
  • Delivered complete protection with lower operation cost — only three IT staff members required to monitor IDS/IPS solution
  • Deployed new system within three weeks of installation
  • Simplified and centralized administration of configuration and guidelines for handling threats
  • Precisely identified and blocked threats in real time
  • Provided full transparency when monitoring network traffic

Major Healthcare System

The healthcare system uses McAfee solutions to gain compliance with HIPAA, PCI, DSS, and FTC regulations.

Highlights
  • Optimize mobility management of corporate data
  • Protect corporate data from the data center to the mobile device
  • Set mobile policies that work while providing flexibility to users
  • Provide central dashboard for controlling entire security environment

Mphasis

Mphasis keeps customer data safe with McAfee Network Security Platform.

Highlights
  • Protected global network from intrusions that could disrupt operations or compromise data
  • Enabled Mphasis to comply with security regulations and client-specific security requirements
  • Provided transparent security with enterprise-level performance, reliability, and availability
  • Eased administration with centralized management and the option to integrate with other security risk management solutions

NYC Department of IT and Telecommunications

NYC Department of IT and Telecommunications uses McAfee for for vulnerability management, endpoint encryption, and other areas of security functionality.

Highlights
  • Increased protection with a savings of $18 million
  • Provided centralized control across highly distributed IT environment

PAETEC

Telecommunications provider PAETEC watches sales skyrocket with managed service based on McAfee Network Security Platform.

Highlights
  • Protected against emerging threats even before installation of new signatures
  • Delivered excellent performance and reliability to PAETEC customers, who enjoy thorough and timely protection against threats without IT infrastructure burdens
  • Differentiated against offerings from competitors
  • Contributed to an already strong revenue stream and grew to emerge as the fastest growing area of PAETEC’s business

Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises safeguards network traffic with McAfee Network Security Platform.

Highlights
  • Enabled robust perimeter security on shore and onboard while conserving bandwidth
  • Provided application-layer detection of malicious traffic
  • Dramatically reduced the time and risks of patch cycle management
  • Delivered centralized security policy management through an easy-to-use, web-based interface

SIM University

SIM University uses McAfee Firewall Enterprise to protect its data center.

Highlights
  • Provide a multilayered defense against security threats
  • Amplify network bandwidth and dramatically improve throughput
  • Increase availability of learning management system to more than 99.9 percent
  • Free up IT administration time of security staff

State of Indiana

The State of Indiana safeguards 27,000 desktops and 2,000 servers with a unified security platform from McAfee.

Highlights
  • Slashed time spent monitoring and protecting endpoints
  • Eased security administration with an easy-to-use centralized console and customizable dashboards and reports
  • Pushed out new agents and other updates in half the time
  • Protected sensitive data on laptops and tablet PCs from unauthorized access
  • Provided a layered, security risk management approach in a unified platform

Resources

Data Sheets

McAfee Network Security Platform

For a technical summary on the McAfee product listed above, please view the product data sheet.

McAfee Education—McAfee Network Security Platform Essentials

For a technical summary on the McAfee product listed above, please view the product data sheet.

The McAfee Network Security Platform: Bridging Network and System Security

Network Security Platform collaborates with McAfee Foundstone, the McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) platform, and McAfee Network Access Control to provide intelligent and real-time security that’s exponentially more accurate and efficient than traditional point products.

Reports

Solution Briefs

White Papers

Community

Blogs

  • Relentless Pursuit To Strengthening Partner Relevance
    Gavin Struthers - May 10, 2012
    As discussed during our Q2 global Town Hall on May 3, (on-demand replay) strengthening partner relevance underpins everything we are doing. From our leadership with Intel to transform the security market with innovative technology, like DeepDefender to our continuous commitment to drive channel partner profitability with the industry’s richest deal registration program, Enhanced Deal Registration. Read more...
  • McAfee Network Security Doubles Performance of Existing IPS Solutions
    Tyler Carter - May 08, 2012
    In modern high-density server environments, high switching and routing capacities are an absolute necessity. But while consolidation, virtualization and cloud computing have been driving up network performance for years, very few security solutions have been built to meet these faster networks. This has led to tough decisions between security and performance, not to mention the Read more...
  • McAfee at Interop 2012
    Tyler Carter - May 04, 2012
    This week, our McAfee team is gearing up to attend Interop 2012, May 8-10 in Las Vegas! If you’re at the show, stop by our booth #421 where VP of Network Security Greg Brown and myself will be performing product demos and presentations throughout each day on the McAfee Network Security Platform, Enterprise Security Manager Read more...
  • Don’t Let Your Data Center Security Get Voted Off the Island
    Tyler Carter - April 20, 2012
    As more and more businesses move towards virtualization, physical data centers are going the way of the Buffalo. Once a data center has been virtualized, an integral part of the network is moved from the physical island of computing resources into the virtualization software.  Inspecting traffic is more challenging when it is self contained in Read more...
  • A Firewall is not an IPS – Even if it is Next Generation
    Pat Calhoun - March 29, 2012
    At my core, I’m a technologist.  So, sometimes when I hear certain marketing buzz words, I cringe.  But there is one term that Gartner analysts have coined that actually makes sense in a world of technology that is changing so quickly and profoundly that simple version numbers cannot capture the advancements.  The term is “Next Read more...