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Lucid Security's ipAngel 400

Posted by Jordan Wiens on March 10, 2006

Tags: IPS,  Lucid Security,  adaptive intrusion-prevention system,  current status views,  external event logging,  intrusion prevention,  ipAngel,  security,  security software,  software reviews,  Appliances,  Consulting,  Corporate Data Security,  Data Center Access,  Data Networking & Management,  Data Protection,  E-Business and Customer Data Security,  Infrastructure,  Interactive Applications,  Internet Security,  Intrusion Detection and Prevention,  Jordan Wiens,  Management,  Network Security,  Networking,  New Vulnerabilities,  Other,  Security Appliances and Hardware,  Security Information Management,  Security and Privacy,  Servers & Storage,  Software and Web Development,  Storage Management Software,  Storage Security,  Technology,  Vulnerability Assessment Services,  Vulnerability Assessment and Management,  WLAN Security,  Web Standards,  Wireless

Channel: Data Protection, Networking & Mgmt, Other, Servers & Storage, Wireless

When I first tested Lucid Security's ipAngel last year, the adaptive intrusion-prevention system showed promise, but lacked some important features, including external event logging and current status views. It also suffered from an overly restrictive registration process. Lucid seems to have taken the constructive criticism to heart and has addressed each complaint, with the results shown in ipAngel 400, an improved model whose adaptive design will serve environments that have few resources to devote to managing an IPS.

Unfortunately, the product's signature database and active scanning process are skewed toward server-side applications. Even if an administrator wanted to enable more client protection manually, the signature set is not as robust--a problem when you consider the dozens of vulnerabilities in Web browsers over the last few years.

Good • Access to underlying Linux system if needed • In-line firewall features Bad • Lacks signature database • Autotuning needs a tune-up • Little client protection ipAngel 400, $18,995. Lucid Security, (800) 371-3392. www.lucidsecurity.com

Quick Start-Up

Lucid's Web site touts installation and configuration in 30 minutes, and that isn't an exaggeration. I powered up the new ipAngel and used a serial cable connected to a laptop to start configuring it as the guardian for my five-device home network. Once I gave the device its IP address and wired it inline between a cable modem and a router, I was given the choice of performing an automated online setup or a manual offline setup to register the product and download the latest updates. This change from the older version, which allowed only an automated online setup, is good. Previously, if an organization had a separate isolated management network for security devices, the device had to be configured on another network and moved back and forth for updates. One minor bug in the process was that the SSL certificate for the registration Web site expired over a year ago--disconcerting for a security company, but hardly a major flaw.