Frequently Asked Questions

What is automated network security scanning?
When a hacker (or an automated hacking tool, such as the "Code Red" worm) attempts to break into a network, they do so by identifying a remote machine and exploiting a flaw in the operating system, application or system configuration. Akaba's PointScan network security scanning service acts as the ultimate hacker, tirelessly and relentlessly checking for every known security flaw on your Internet-accessible machines.

What information is reported by PointScan?
PointScan provides reports tailored to each role in your enterprise:

	Executive summaries that offer a graphical synopsis of security status and trending at a glance.
	IT manager's reports that provide a high-level technical overview and facilitate informed decision making to allocate resources to ensure the protection of critical information assets.
	Network administrator's reports that contain detailed descriptions of vulnerabilities, step-by-step instructions on repairing them and extensive technical references to the appropriate security bulletins and articles.

All reports are available securely through an SSL-enabled browser in HTML for convenient viewing and may be downloaded in PDF format for distribution.

What kinds of problems does PointScan discover?
The PointScan vulnerability database is extensive. Tests are run to discover over 1,500 problems in these categories:

	Backdoors, remote control and Trojan horse programs
	Brute Force Attacks
	CGI-Bin
	Denial of Service
	DNS and Bind
	Finger
	Firewall
	File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
	Information Services (NIS, LDAP, WHOIS)
	Mail Services
	Microsoft Front Page
	Microsoft IIS
	News Services
	Remote file access
	RPC
	SMB/NetBIOS Windows sharing
	SMTP
	SNMP
	TCP/IP
	UNIX
	Web Servers
	Windows
	X-Windows

I have a firewall. Isn't that enough?
A properly configured and maintained firewall is an essential part of a good network security program, but it is only the first step. A firewall cannot prevent many attacks that exploit flaws or misconfigurations in publicly accessible servers. Most of the 250,000 web servers that were infected with the "Code Red" worm were behind firewalls.

What hardware and software do I need to run PointScan?
There's no hardware or software to buy. If you have a browser that supports SSL, you can use PointScan to analyze your network security.

Is a training class available?
No special expertise is required to use the PointScan service. Unlike most vulnerability scanning software utilities, PointScan requires no training classes or a network security background to use.

How does PointScan find vulnerabilities?
PointScan uses a three-phase approach:

1. Discovery. PointScan first identifies all machines in your network that are visible from the Internet, such as web, mail or file servers, firewalls, routers, switches and desktop PC's. It then discovers the services that each machine offers, the type of operating system and the versions of each publicly accessible application.
   
   
2. Exploitation/Analysis. Each service and application discovered in phase one is cross-referenced to an extensive database to generate a list of potential vulnerabilities. For example, if a machine is running Windows and offering web service, a list of Microsoft IIS vulnerability checks is enabled.
   There are a total of over 1,500 vulnerability checks in the PointScan database, and the number grows continually as new security holes are discovered. Our security experts monitor vendor security bulletins, security organization announcements and "black hat" hacking sites to keep the vulnerability database as current as possible, and your network as secure as it can be.
   
   
3. Reporting. Detailed and easy-to-read reports are available securely through any SSL-enabled browser, both in HTML format for convenient viewing and PDF format for distribution.