LoveMyTool - Network Monitoring, CALEA, Lawful Intercept, Application Performance, Web User Experience, Web Analytics, Content & Database Security, IDS, Malware, Crimeware, SOX, HIPAA and PCI Compliance Auditing, Forensics, DPI, VoIP, IPTV ...

Rising Above ... Wireshark University (by Denny K Miu)

Welcome to another episode of “Rising Above … America TECH Heroes” showcasing individuals who choose to “rise above” all that life can throw at them and be successful in spite of all odds and adversities.

I write regularly about entrepreneurship (particularly survival skills needed for “bootstrapping” entrepreneurs) and I enjoy talking about determined and successful entrepreneurs (as we did with Cahaba Data). Today we are featuring Laura Chappell, Founder of Wireshark University.

I met Laura for the first time during the recent Sharkfest Conference. Laura and her colleagues (Betty DuBois and Tony Fortunato) were teaching a series of introductory and advanced courses in network monitoring and troubleshooting (the PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded here). Since then I have learned more about Laura and her company and come to respect her immensely for what she has accomplished and her reputation among her peers.

As I have discussed in the past, entrepreneurship is fundamentally about wealth creation, for ourselves and our family. Entrepreneurship is far from rocket science. As one of my former Board members once told me (who was an early investor of Sun Microsystems and now spend his retirement racing BMW's when he is not on his yacht), “If you could take something that is normally a hassle for someone and turn it into a routine, then you have a business. And if in addition, you could convince your customers that what you have created is so valuable to them that they are willing to pay you more than what it takes for you to deliver your creation, then you have a 'profitable' business.”

Too often, especially in the Silicon Valley, we forget this simple truth and entrepreneurs (especially first-time entrepreneurs) confuse valuation with value-building (with no shortage of misinformation from VC's and from the popular media). They mistakenly believe that success is about getting investment from investors as opposed to building a sustainable and viable business.

It is nice to see counter examples such as Laura who didn't wait for the cavalry but instead choose to lift themselves by their bootstraps. Laura's success is based entirely on her believe that business is about providing values to her customers and her community.

A lot has been written already about Laura Chappell including her bio, a short video showing her entertaining lecture on ways that one can be attacked through cyberspace (everything you want to know but afraid to ask), her famous book on Internet Safety for Kids, her own account on how she started Wireshark University with blessing from Gerald Combs (creator of Wireshark) and finally, and her very popular blog (A bit of humor, a bit of technology - 0x10 bits in all).

Recently, Laura also started her YouTube video series (Bitsplitters) with episodes on many technical issues including Trace Files Time Stamp, etc. Never one afraid to provide entertainment while educating, she recently posted some advises on how **not** to buy gifts for Mother's day. Having been married for twenty plus years, her advise came at a most opportune time for me. Enjoy.

Alstom on OPNET

“I was skeptical at first, but I have to say that the [ACE Live] box definitely ‘does what it says on the tin.’ Its ability to quickly drill down to the cause of performance issues, its amazing ease of use, and the clarity of its presentation of so many useful metrics, have made it our primary tool for application performance management."

-- Chris Reynolds, UK Network Manager, IT Centre UK, ALSTOM

Customer Profile - ALSTOM (formerly GEC-Alsthom) is a large French multinational conglomerate whose businesses are power generation, railway signalling; and manufacturing trains (e.g. the TGV and Eurostar as well as Citadis trams) and the world's largest ships (e.g. Normandie and the Queen Mary 2). In the years 2006/07, Alstom had annual sales of over €14 billion, and employed more than 69,000 people in over 70 countries. Its headquarters are located in Levallois-Perret, near Paris.

Vendor Profile - OPNET Technologies, Inc. offers management software for networks and applications in the United States, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Among others, The company's products include ACE that enables application performance management through advanced analytics. The company serves corporate enterprises, government and defense agencies, network service providers, and network equipment manufacturers through direct sales force, subsidiaries, distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and resellers. OPNET Technologies was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

ALSTOM Problems

* Inability to quickly troubleshoot performance problems
* No real-time overview of network: who’s talking to whom, what applications.
* Too much time fire-fighting, no time for new business-critical IT projects

ACE Live Solution

* An ACE Live appliance deployed in the main data center
* Monitor performance and utilization for all critical applications and links
* Real-time and historical view of wide range of application and network metrics

ALSTOM Benefits

* Much faster problem localization and resolution across entire network
* Real-time overview of network and application activity for all locations
* Extremely fast time to value, improved communication with non-technical managers
* More time for business-critical IT projects, improved IT support for business strategy

OPNET @ Interop Vegas 2008

Vendor Profile - OPNET Technologies, Inc. offers management software for networks and applications in the United States, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Among others, The company's products include ACE that enables application performance management through advanced analytics. The company serves corporate enterprises, government and defense agencies, network service providers, and network equipment manufacturers through direct sales force, subsidiaries, distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and resellers. OPNET Technologies was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Paul Dietz is the AVP of Northwest Regional Enterprise Sales for OPNET Technologies.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool “It's Show Time” posts »

AirTran Airways on Lancope

“[Lancope’s] StealthWatch performed so well during our evaluation that we did not pursue trials with any other NBA products”

-- Michelle Stewart, Manager of Data Security, AirTran Airways

Customer Profile: AirTran Airways, a Fortune 1000 company, offers passengers more than 700 affordable, daily flights to 56 destinations throughout the United States. The airline is the second-largest carrier at its hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and one of America's largest low-fare airlines. With more than 8,900 friendly Crew Members and free online booking, AirTran Airways makes travel both pleasant and convenient. The airline flies America's youngest all-Boeing fleet, composed of the fuel-efficient Boeing 737-700 and 717-200 aircraft. AirTran Airways was also the first to install XM Satellite Radio on a commercial aircraft and the only airline with Business Class seating on every flight.

Vendor Profile - Lancope®, Inc. is the provider of the StealthWatch™ System, the most widely used network behavior analysis (NBA) and response solution that unifies behavior-based anomaly detection and network optimization capabilities to protect critical information assets and ensure network performance by preventing costly downtime, repair and loss of reputation. StealthWatch streamlines security and network operations into one process, reduces time and resources, and eliminates the costs and complexity associated with non-integrated point products. Both OPSEC and Common Criteria-certified, StealthWatch received the 2007 Global Excellence Award in NBA and was named Best of Show at Interop 2006. Defending the networks of Global 2000 organizations, academic institutions and government entities, StealthWatch protects hundreds of enterprise customers worldwide, more than all direct competitors combined. Lancope is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

AirTran Airways Uses Lancope’s StealthWatch Network Behavior Analysis System with NetFlow to Help Demonstrate Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance

Editor’s Note: As everyone knows compliance is a necessity in today’s uncertain world of data communications. Along with compliance one must be deeply security conscious to protect their company and customers information, as one serious breach could bankrupt a company financially as well as ruin the companies’ reputation. Lancope, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia is ready with their NetFlow-based StealthWatch solution. The Lancope solution not only can verify compliance but through the use of NetFlow is also a cost effective network monitoring and management tool.

PCI (Payment Card Industry) is not the only compliance we have to consider, there are as many as 14 domestic versions of compliance not including the State, International and Country specific compliance acts. We have individual industry compliance acts also.

So today’s Network Manager must be an expert in Network, Server, Infrastructure, Security, Compliance, Telecommunications, Application, etc. This is not practical and this is where specialized companies – like Lancope – are desperately needed to provide solutions that are deployable, affordable, flexible and technologically sound to help solve today’s complex issues and expandable to help with the next generation of issues.

When you read the case study below, you will see how Lancope’s StealthWatch solution has been proven through successfully helping AirTran Airways.

--OldCommGuy

Lancope @ Interop Vegas 2008

Vendor Profile - Lancope®, Inc. is the provider of the StealthWatch™ System, the most widely used network behavior analysis (NBA) and response solution that unifies behavior-based anomaly detection and network optimization capabilities to protect critical information assets and ensure network performance by preventing costly downtime, repair and loss of reputation. StealthWatch streamlines security and network operations into one process, reduces time and resources, and eliminates the costs and complexity associated with non-integrated point products. Both OPSEC and Common Criteria-certified, StealthWatch received the 2007 Global Excellence Award in NBA and was named Best of Show at Interop 2006. Defending the networks of Global 2000 organizations, academic institutions and government entities, StealthWatch protects hundreds of enterprise customers worldwide, more than all direct competitors combined. Lancope is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jason Anderson is the VP of Engineering for Lancope.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool “It's Show Time” posts »