HOUSTON, Aug. 5 /EMWNews/ -- In April 2008, a massive SQL injection

attacked web sites throughout the world, compromising the integrity of

their databases and garnering much industry attention. What seemed to be a

sequel to this SQL injection surfaced in mid-June, slipping in largely

under the radar - but not the radar of at least one global provider of

managed security, Network Box Corp.



    "The SQL injection appeared to be highly targeted, affecting a single

one of our boxes in Australia at a rate of about 5,000 hits per day," says

Pierluigi Stella, CTO of Network Box USA, Inc.

(http://www.networkboxusa.com), the American arm of Network Box Corp. "The

attack first identified a specific version and account of Microsoft IIS and

SQL Server, and then delivered a complex encoded SQL injection payload."



    In reaction to this heightened activity, the Network Box Security

Response center developed two new IDP modules to further improve its

detection and protection abilities for generic and specific known SQL

injection threats, and released the modules to its customers.



    "About a week later, the attack went global," says Stella. "We saw it

on about 30 boxes, with each box getting some 1,000 probes a day. Over the

next few days, we saw a dramatic increase in malicious activity across

several continents and from more than 40 source countries."



    A major botnet with at least 4,000 compromised hosts was responsible --

creating and sending spam and viruses and flooding networks with messages

as a denial-of-service attack. Network Box increased its global

threat-level indicator and continued to closely monitor the situation,

further refining and improving its protection signatures and heuristics as

necessary.



    "Because we knew something was up and were prepared for this dangerous

threat, our customers' network security was not breached," Stella

concludes. "This stuff is very focused, and if you just have a device,

instead of a managed security provider with a worldwide presence, this type

of attack is not easy to notice -- that is, until it's too late."



    "This instance underscores the advantages to Network Box customers that

the company is dispersed geographically and operates as a managed service

provider," notes industry analyst Tim Clark of The FactPoint Group.



    "As a managed service provider, Network Box's revenue is directly tied

to keep its existing customers safe and happy; otherwise they might bolt to

another provider," says Clark. "Security device makers also want happy

customers, but their financial interest comes from selling the next device,

not the current one.



    "Network Box's global footprint helped, too. The initial attack in

Australia put Network Box on alert with solutions to counter the attack

anywhere. That made their customers safer when the attack went global the

following week."

    About Network Box USA



    Network Box USA, Inc. (http://www.networkboxusa.com), the American arm

of Network Box Corp., was formed in response to the escalating danger posed

by security breaches, virus attacks and similar threats arising from

widespread use of the Internet. Its mission is to provide enterprises of

all sizes with a cutting-edge computer network security solution that is

effective yet affordable. The company's flagship product, the Network Box

appliance, has won numerous awards for excellence and is now in the

forefront of UTM, the next generation of firewall technology. Among Network

Box USA's customers, the product has been especially embraced by banks,

credit unions, and other financial institutions. Network Box USA is

headquartered at 2825 Wilcrest, Suite 259, Houston, Texas 77042; telephone

832-242-5758 or (toll free) 888-315-8886; fax: 713-933-0290; email

[email protected].






     For More Information:

     Neal Leavitt of Leavitt Communications

     +1-760-639-2900

     [email protected]