The FTP ALG also allows restrictions to be placed on the FTP control channel which can improve
the security of FTP connections. These are:
•
Maximum line length in control channel
Creating very large control channel commands can be used as a form of attack against a
server by causing buffer overruns This restriction combats this threat. The default value is
256
If very long file or directory names on the server are used then this limit may need to be
raised. The shorter the limit, the better the security.
•
Maximum number of commands per second
To prevent automated attacks against FTP server, restricting the frequency of commands can
be useful. The default limit is
20
commands per second.
•
Allow 8-bit strings in control channel
The option determines if 8-bit characters are allowed in the control channel. Allowing 8-bit
characters enables support for filenames containing international characters. For example,
accented or umlauted characters.
Filetype Checking
The FTP ALG offers the same filetype verification for downloaded files that is found in the HTTP
ALG. This consists of two separate options:
•
MIME Type Verification
When enabled, NetDefendOS checks that a download's stated filetype matches the file's
contents. Mismatches result in the download being dropped.
•
Allow/Block Selected Types
If selected in blocking mode, specified filetypes are dropped when downloaded. If selected in
allow mode, only the specified filetypes are allowed as downloads.
NetDefendOS also performs a check to make sure the filetype matches the contents of the
file. New filetypes can be added to the predefined list of types.
The above two options for filetype checking are the same as those available in the HTTP ALG and
are more fully described in
.
Anti-Virus Scanning
The NetDefendOS Anti-Virus subsystem can be enabled to scan all FTP downloads searching for
malicious code. Suspect files can be de dropped or just logged.
This feature is common to a number of ALGs and is described fully in
FTP ALG with ZoneDefense
ZoneDefense is a feature that allows NetDefendOS to block hosts and networks by sending
management commands to certain types of external network switches. Used together with the
FTP ALG, ZoneDefense can be configured to protect a network from the spread of malware such
as viruses. This is relevant in two scenarios:
Chapter 6: Security Mechanisms
439
Summary of Contents for NetDefendOS
Page 30: ...Figure 1 3 Packet Flow Schematic Part III Chapter 1 NetDefendOS Overview 30 ...
Page 32: ...Chapter 1 NetDefendOS Overview 32 ...
Page 144: ...Chapter 2 Management and Maintenance 144 ...
Page 284: ...Chapter 3 Fundamentals 284 ...
Page 392: ...Chapter 4 Routing 392 ...
Page 419: ... Host 2001 DB8 1 MAC 00 90 12 13 14 15 5 Click OK Chapter 5 DHCP Services 419 ...
Page 420: ...Chapter 5 DHCP Services 420 ...
Page 573: ...Chapter 6 Security Mechanisms 573 ...
Page 607: ...Chapter 7 Address Translation 607 ...
Page 666: ...Chapter 8 User Authentication 666 ...
Page 775: ...Chapter 9 VPN 775 ...
Page 819: ...Chapter 10 Traffic Management 819 ...
Page 842: ...Chapter 11 High Availability 842 ...
Page 866: ...Default Enabled Chapter 13 Advanced Settings 866 ...
Page 879: ...Chapter 13 Advanced Settings 879 ...