The
SNORT® open source intrusion prevention and detection technology was
created in 1998 by Martin Roesch, the founder of Sourcefire®. With
its dramatic speed, power and performance, Snort quickly gained momentum to
become the single most widely deployed intrusion prevention and detection
technology in the world.
The wide availability of open source brings many advantages. Because the source code is open and non-proprietary, open source development occurs at a markedly accelerated pace compared to proprietary models. The success of the model is due to a vast community of security experts that continually review, test and improve the code. Simply, users in the open source security community worldwide can detect and respond to bugs and other security threats faster and more efficiently than in a “closed” environment.
With more than 3,000,000 downloads to date, the Snort open source community has a well-earned reputation for extraordinary organization and dedication. Literally hundreds of thousands of security engineers and specialists the world over contribute Snort rules for new and evolving threats every hour of the day, often in record time.
Today, Sourcefire combines the very best of open source with the best of the commercial world.
Leveraging the power and reach of the open source Snort rules-based detection engine, Sourcefire adds a critical layer of network behavior analysis (NBA). Sourcefire’s RNA (Real-time Network Awareness) maintains a persistent profile of a network, its assets and relevant vulnerabilities. Using passive discovery methods, Sourcefire RNA adds a new level of visibility and intelligence.
Sourcefire products are easy to use, plug-n-protect appliances, built on optimized hardware and tuned and fully loaded out-of-the-box. Based on the proven, time-tested Snort intrusion prevention engine, The Sourcefire 3D™ System integrates IPS, NBA, NAC and Vulnerability Assessment technologies under a single console. This Enterprise Threat Management (ETM) approach affords customers with an efficient and effective layered security defense – protecting network assets before, during and after an attack