Press Releases

Javits Center Relies on Top Layer Networks for High-Grade Network Security

Westboro, MA, August 30, 2004 -

Top Layer Networks, Inc., a provider of globally proven intrusion prevention solutions, today announced that its Attack Mitigator IPS family of products has been deployed to protect one of the nations’ best-known convention centers. The Javits Center, located in New York City, may be the nation’s best-known convention and expo center. Hosting hundreds of events annually from food shows to fashion expos, the facility has nearly one million square feet of exhibit space. Since its opening in 1986, Javits has hosted more than 2,400 events, nearly 1,400 of which were major trade shows or conventions. Next week, Javits will host several events related to the Republican National Convention.

Part of the package Javits offers to its millions of annual guests is unimpeded access to the Internet, which has presented considerable security problems. The Javits network team never knows what types of devices will be connected to their network, and has no management control over the end devices. They experienced regular outages – sometimes several per day – when exhibitors connected infected machines to the network and clogged it or brought it down entirely. Because the applications and ports that are in use vary by event, by exhibitor, by day, and even by device, it was unrealistic to firewall the network. Yet with thousands of devices and users - and gigabits of daily traffic - Javits needed a solution that kept the network as flexible and unrestricted as possible and that also would quickly mitigate attacks before they proliferated and brought the entire network down. It was also imperative that the solution not degrade their network’s performance.

Javits selected Top Layer’s Attack Mitigator IPS, an active intrusion prevention solution that has worked flawlessly within one of the most fluid networks imaginable. The Attack Mitigator went beyond attack protection and incorporated features to ensure the Attack Mitigator itself would not be a point of failure, such as redundant power supplies and fail-open capabilities. Javits’ show floor network went from up to four outages per day to not a single outage since installation. The new device greatly eased Javits’ management headaches and enabled them to provide their attendees and exhibitors with the “free reign” they need on the Internet without worrying about many of the dangers inherent in an open network.

“Prior to installing the Attack Mitigator, I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off five or six times a day, chasing down attack sources and disconnecting offending machines. Rather than doing my job, I was endlessly playing the role of network police officer,” said Lou Martorella, network manager at the Javits Center. “While we had excellent connectivity, until we installed the Attack Mitigator we had no view into where malicious traffic was originating and certainly no way to automatically drop malicious packets on-the-fly.”

Javits’ network team is now able to focus on what they do best: connecting their diverse guests to the outside world. They don’t have to chase network ghosts, and have not been plagued with the false alarms typically associated with similar devices. The Javits team’s efficiency has improved considerably, as they have a device in place that can analyze network traffic in real-time and protect their infrastructure seamlessly.

“Few network security challenges could serve as better proof of our technology leadership than securing a trade show floor like Javits. Most of us in the business world have been to Javits events and seen the thousands of devices that are connected to their network, but few of us have considered the enormous security challenge this poses,” said Mike Paquette, VP technology at Top Layer Networks. “For many Javits exhibitors, the few days on the show floor are the most important days of the year. Network outages are unacceptable for them and have huge costs to them and to Javits. I am very proud we are able to solve these headaches while protecting their critical infrastructure.”

About Top Layer Networks, Inc.

Founded in 1997, Top Layer Networks (http://www.TopLayer.com) develops network security solutions that enable enterprises worldwide to protect their infrastructure and critical online assets from cyber threats. The Company’s patented, ASIC-based products are engineered to deliver accurate and reliable protection mechanisms while operating as robust in-line network devices. Top Layer Networks is headquartered in Westboro, Massachusetts with sales and support presence in France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom.

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