Cisco SMB RV320 / 325 Secure Routers with Integrated WEB Filtering: Feature Overview

The general state of security threats in the world of digital technology is fairly well researched and documented. Violations and data corruption in large public and private organizations are described quite often, and they are, as they say, heard by business executives and security professionals. However, thousands of such events unnoticed by a wide audience daily occur at the level of small businesses and individual users. This article provides one solution to the problem.



Symantec: attacks on small businesses are growing


It is no secret that the level of cybercrime is constantly increasing, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly becoming the target of hackers. Recent evidence from the Symantec's 2016 Internet Security Threat Report indicates that the SMB sector is becoming an attractive target for phishing as well.


In 2015, phishing attacks against SMB enterprises took 43% of the time from all types of attacks. This is 9% more than in 2014 and very contrasted with the 18% attacks on SMB that were recorded in 2011.

A Symantec report shows that while about 1 in 40 (2.5%) SMBs are at risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime. At first glance, this seems insignificant compared with statistics for large enterprises, where the ratio is 1: 2, i.e., every second enterprise is attacked in this segment.

Another thing is important. The report notes that hackers attack their victims indiscriminately. The wording is quite simple, and at the same time, clarifies the meaning of the attacks.

This is not a question of who they are targeting. It is a question that they are all aimed at your money. Phishing attacks are carried out on specific employees, mainly responsible for small business finances.

Malicious emails sent to such employees can “hijack” the financial information of the entire company and open access to corporate funds and personal information.

Symantec notes that ransomware attacks have also become more frequent. They are aimed not only at employees, but also at any devices located in the hacked network. (The point of using ransomware is to block or disrupt the device. It will be available to the user again only after some payment to the attacker). In 2015, Symantec recorded a lot of attacks on IoT, smartphones, and even smart watches and smart television.

Symantec also shows a 55% increase from 2014 to 2015 in the number of targeted phishing attacks targeted at specific employees, regardless of company size. For reference, Symantec classifies small businesses as having up to 250 employees.

Get ready for protection


What should small business owners do with the information above? A simple tip is to prepare to repel attacks. It is clear that hackers will continue to increase phishing pressure on SMB businesses.

Since such attacks are aimed primarily at certain employees, it would be reasonable to implement an appropriate training and information program within the company using phishing schemes.

However, it is often difficult for a company in the SMB sector to organize such training, and employees are often superficial about the knowledge they need to acquire. In addition, they must first deal with their direct responsibilities.

It is also obvious that it is better to limit the number of employees' smartphones and IoT devices - however, for SMB, adherence to such a policy is also associated with certain difficulties. As a result, SMB enterprises prefer protection to be automatic and of the highest possible quality. One of the solutions to the problem is the use of specialized routers (routers).

Cisco RV320 and Cisco RV325 Routers


Cisco RV320 and RV325 Cisco Small Business Routers (SBR) routers with Web filtering add a layer of reliable protection, including preventing access to potentially dangerous resources on the network.

For small companies with limited budgets, where there are not enough resources to maintain full-time security experts, specialized routers for small businesses, such as the Cisco SBR, are well suited.

Cisco SBRs are equipped with Web filtering tools that block access to hacker attacks. There is an almost infinite number of websites that employees of small companies can visit without the knowledge of management. Moreover, almost any connection can be a means of gaining access to internal systems and data of a small enterprise.

Using the specialized Cisco routers that have recently appeared, you can set the appropriate Web policy for your company within a few minutes, and be quite sure that it is implemented without additional expensive security measures and attracting additional IT staff.

Why should SMB enterprises use Web filtering? The obvious answer is primarily because their employees, as a rule, have access online, and without filtering they can access any site.

In this regard, the Cisco RV320 and RV325 routers are among the best for SMBs, allowing you to maintain good network health. They keep users away from dangerous websites with their malicious applications and dubious content, without compromising on productivity.

Just a few settings in Web Filtering allow you to categorize sites, set appropriate protection levels, indicate the reputation of certain sites and schedule a security service (see the screenshot in the “Software” section).

A poll by Kaspersky Lab, the results of which were published at the end of 2015, showed that SMB enterprises spend an average of $ 38 thousand to “recover” after a single case of data breach - and this amount does not include indirect costs and a deterioration in the company's reputation . The same survey also showed that the largest number of attacks were related to malware and phishing.

Using a Web filter, small businesses can significantly reduce these types of attacks and their damage. It is important to note that Web filtering is different from antivirus software, and using one approach does not eliminate the need for another.

The Cisco RV320 and RV325 models stand out among the Cisco RVxxx family of routers as the highest-level and highest IPsec throughputs. The main difference between these models is that the RV320 has four LAN ports compared to the fourteen LAN ports of the RV325.

Cisco RV320 Dual Gigabit WAN VPN Router


The Cisco RV320 is defined as "PPTP / IPsec / SSL VPN router with Gigabit ports and USB WAN failover." Its main advantages include the presence of an Administrator GUI, automatic WAN load balancing, the presence of an easy-to-use firewall (firewall), as well as support for 3G / 4G USB modems.

The RV320 is a desktop router measuring 8.1 x 1.7 x 5.2 inches (width, height, and depth, respectively). The device has a metal case and external power supply. No noise because it uses passive cooling. Control indicators are located on the front panel, RJ45 ports - on the back.


Front Panel Appearance and Comparative Dimensions of Cisco RV320

The device has two 10/100/1000 WAN ports and four 10/100/1000 LAN ports. One of the WAN ports can be configured either as a WAN or as a DMZ.

There are also two USB 2.0 ports, one on the front and one on the back. They are designed to connect 3G / 4G modems and / or download software from a flash drive. Keep in mind that the router does not support USB storage devices and printers.


The appearance of the rear panel of the Cisco RV320 RV320

housing is slightly higher than that of other devices of the RVxxx family, which ensures good air circulation. According to user reviews, with continuous operation, the RV320 is nothing more than “a little warm.”


View of the Cisco RV320 Motherboard

Under a sufficiently large radiator is a dual-core Cavium CN5020 central processor, operating at a frequency of 300 MHz. On board, the RV320 also has 256 MB DDR2 RAM and 64 MB flash memory.

Cisco RV320 Specifications


Router
- (4) 10/100/1000 LAN, (1) 10/100/1000 WAN, (1) 10/100/1000 DMZ / WAN
- (2) USB 2.0 ports
- 3G / 4G WWAN Support
- Bandwidth 900 Mbps NAT
- Dual WAN failover and load balancing
- Protocol based load balancing
- RIPv1 / v2, RIPng
- 802.1Q VLAN - Support for 7 VLAN IDs
- IPv6
- QoS controls

SPI Firewall
- DoS, ping of death, SYN flood, land attack , IP spoofing protection
- 50 Schedule-based access rules
- 30 Port Forwarding rules
- 30 Port Triggering rules
- Static URL or keyword blocking (content filtering)
- DMZ port and DMZ host functionality

VPN
- IPsec - DES, 3DES, AES Encryption; MD5, SHA1 Authentication
- 50 IPsec Site to Site tunnels
- 10 SSL tunnels
- 10 PPTP tunnels
- 100 Mbps IPsec throughput
- 20 Mbps SSL throughput

Other
- SNMP
- LLDP
- 802.1X Authentication

Cisco RV325


The Cisco RV325 is classified as a “Dual Gigabit WAN VPN Router”. This is the oldest model in the Cisco RV VPN Small Business Router line. If you highlight its main features, it means high speed, VPN and VLAN support, as well as simple configuration of parameters specific to high-level routers.

The device supports up to 50 IPSec tunnels, in site-to-site or client-to-site connections, with an claimed IPSec bandwidth of about 100 Mbps. PPTP and SSL VPN servers support up to 10 concurrent client-to-site tunnels.

The package includes an Ethernet cable, an external power supply, a quick start guide and a CD with full documentation. Mounting rails for mounting in a standard 19-inch rack are also included.

The overall dimensions of the device are 9.5 x 2 x 7 inches (width, height and depth, respectively. Typical cabinet color is “gray metal.”

The Cisco RV325 has only a power connector and a switch on the rear panel. Typically, non-slip feet are installed on the underside of the chassis for placed on a table or shelf, along with holes for wall mounting.On the

front panel there are status indicators, 14 standard LAN ports, two WAN ports and a reset button.There is also one USB port on the front panel and another one on the right side. both Oguta used for 3G Internet, or for maintenance.

User reviews


In general, the resource www.networkworld.com characterizes this router as a "solid product" with the most common capabilities of a VPN router and the corresponding functionality. It is also interesting to list some user reviews on the RV325 from www.newegg.com . Most of them are categorically positive:

- It has more features than one would expect from a router in this price range.

- Great for a small office or home use with a variety of devices - multiple desktops or laptops, other network devices, printers, TV, etc.

- Stable, convenient and ideal for small businesses.

- I'm not a “network guy”, but this router is light enough for users with an average knowledge of IT.

Nevertheless, what you should pay attention to:

- If you have an understanding of the principles of networking and installing a router, then this is a good choice.

- While this router is very easy to install, it is a professional-level device and requires some knowledge of networking and how to use its features to your advantage.

Software


A detailed description of the Cisco RV320 and Cisco RV325 routers software is beyond the scope of this review. We note only some of its characteristics.

After entering the Web GUI, the user gets to the Getting Started page with links to the Setup Wizard and other common pages. The Setup Wizard allows you to configure WAN ports and gives you access to configure a firewall. The software supports Cisco Easy VPN, which simplifies the configuration of remote VPN users.

In order to be able to get a general idea about the GUI of these devices, here is a screenshot. In general, the GUI of the Cisco RV320 / 325 routers is well developed, detailed and at the same time quite understandable for those who have an idea of ​​working with network devices.


DHCP configuration

There is also an emulatorCisco RV320 Web Interface Below is a screenshot of it from the Web Filtering section.


Setting the filtering level by content category

As a conclusion to this review, we give another user opinion from the site www.newegg.com :

- I have been working with Cisco equipment for a long time, and I must say that this is one of the best products. Superior speed, easy configuration. If you work in a small business, I recommend it.

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