Share and Share Alike
File-sharing traffic is much easier to identify than to block. Intrusion-detection systems, such as Snort, can identify many different protocols (see "Nose Around With Snort", for more information). Although blocking can be difficult, you can enforce corporate policies by monitoring violations. Unfortunately, as more protocols implement encryption--even simple encryption--it'll be trickier to identify the protocols. And with more protocols implementing multiple connection methods, or using completely random ports, securing your network against these applications may become next to impossible. Thankfully, as long as there are people writing applications, there are security administrators working to prevent inappropriate use of those applications.
Jeremy Baumgartner is a network security administrator for the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Write to him at [email protected].
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
