Protecting Your Network From Malicious Traffic with URL Filtering

Preventing malicious traffic from entering the network is a big challenge. An IT Manager can get frustrated over the lack of network visibility. How can you block the bad guys if you can’t spot them?

It’s difficult to secure BYOD as more enter the network.

Malicious websites pop up every day. Research from Verizon indicates web application attacks are part of 26% of all breaches followed by Backdoor or Command & Control, representing 17%.

Stolen credentials and phishing are two key paths to the entrance of your network. This accounts for the top reasons for breaches.

Take on a layered approach and tackle the infrastructure you have direct control over.

Start with URL Filtering to block web-based threats, access to command and control servers, and other malicious traffic. URL Filtering is a cloud-based subscription service from Palo Alto Networks for their Next-Generation Firewalls.

It’s more than just blocking access to websites. With Advanced URL Filtering, you can prevent credential phishing theft by controlling the types of websites where users can enter their corporate credentials.

URL Filtering has a shared intelligence with integration with Threat Prevention and WildFire, providing another layer of protection for your network.

You’ll gain control and set actions over categories of web traffic by configuring different risk categories. Whether you want to be alerted, block, override, and even allow certain sites and/or tie them to specific user credentials.

URL Filtering will enforce your organization’s security policies with real-time analysis using machine learning to defend your network against new and unknown threats.

Blocking malicious traffic and configuring specific firewall rules is only one part of the security strategy.

Visibility into the actions taken and learning what is actually happening on the network is critical.

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls include thorough logging. What happens if devices are trying to communicate with Command and Control servers, for example? How do you know which devices are infected?

You’ll be able to monitor the source device, which URL Filtering category was matched, and to which destination.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can leverage these benefits for your network, contact Packet6 today.