Applying Http, Https, Or Ftp Filtering; Applying Application Inspection - Cisco PIX 500 Series Configuration Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Security Appliance

Applying HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP Filtering

Although you can use access lists to prevent outbound access to specific websites or FTP servers,
configuring and managing web usage this way is not practical because of the size and dynamic nature of
the Internet. We recommend that you use the security appliance in conjunction with a separate server
running one of the following Internet filtering products:
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Applying Application Inspection

Inspection engines are required for services that embed IP addressing information in the user data packet
or that open secondary channels on dynamically assigned ports. These protocols require the security
appliance to do a deep packet inspection.
Sending Traffic to the Advanced Inspection and Prevention Security Services Module
If your model supports the AIP SSM for intrusion prevention, then you can send traffic to the AIP SSM
for inspection.
Sending Traffic to the Content Security and Control Security Services Module
If your model supports it, the CSC SSM provides protection against viruses, spyware, spam, and other
unwanted traffic. It accomplishes this by scanning the FTP, HTTP, POP3, and SMTP traffic that you
configure the adaptive security appliance to send to it.
Applying QoS Policies
Some network traffic, such as voice and streaming video, cannot tolerate long latency times. QoS is a
network feature that lets you give priority to these types of traffic. QoS refers to the capability of a
network to provide better service to selected network traffic.
Applying Connection Limits and TCP Normalization
You can limit TCP and UDP connections and embryonic connections. Limiting the number of
connections and embryonic connections protects you from a DoS attack. The security appliance uses the
embryonic limit to trigger TCP Intercept, which protects inside systems from a DoS attack perpetrated
by flooding an interface with TCP SYN packets. An embryonic connection is a connection request that
has not finished the necessary handshake between source and destination.
TCP normalization is a feature consisting of advanced TCP connection settings designed to drop packets
that do not appear normal.
Enabling Threat Detection
You can configure scanning threat detection and basic threat detection, and also how to use statistics to
analyze threats.
Basic threat detection detects activity that might be related to an attack, such as a DoS attack, and
automatically sends a system log message.
OL-12172-03
Websense Enterprise
Secure Computing SmartFilter
Cisco Security Appliance Command Line Configuration Guide
Firewall Functional Overview
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