As with any business approach to network security, it is important that stream-based solutions are developed in conjunction with a knowledgeable and capable in-house security research team. It is always better to have your own in-house team do security research and signature development, rather than have third parties develop signatures for you and not being aware how threats really spread in the wild.

But with a strong vendor-customer partnership that ensures the broadest possible protocol support and insight into the real nature of potential threats, a stream-based DPI solution can actually align both speed and security concerns in a meaningful way.

About SonicWALL, Inc.: Guided by its vision of Dynamic Security for the Global Network, SonicWALL develops advanced intelligent network security and data protection solutions that adapt as organizations evolve and as threats evolve. Trusted by small and large enterprises worldwide, SonicWALL solutions are designed to detect and control applications and protect networks from intrusions and malware attacks through award-winning hardware, software and virtual appliance-based solutions. For more information, visit http://www.sonicwall.com/.

in Network World's Wide Area Network section.