Cyber Security

The role of accurate timing in reducing network security risk. In order to enable systems to sync up, the organization must essentially leave a door open to its firewall through which time information can get in. From a security perspective, that is a big problem. Nefarious hackers know all too well that many companies use this technique to maintain network time. They even know exactly what door on the firewall will be open, since NTP is designed to use a specific port on a firewall—Port 123. In effect, then, this approach to keeping network time is like sending an invitation to an attacker, telling him how to attack your network.

Not all time-related security risks relate to NTP and public time servers, however. Poor synchronization in general can lead to unacceptable levels of risk.

Time servers that synchronize to satellites that constantly orbit the earth that are used to support the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is outfitted with atomic clocks. Time servers synchronize with the clocks on those satellites, which are accurate to approximately one-millionth of a second to UTC. Each networked system can then synchronize with the Time Server device as often as is deemed necessary.

Even an entry-level time server can keep thousands of client systems in sync. For a relatively small investment, companies can be assured that out-of-sync systems won't result in far more costly productivity or data losses and that keeping accurate time won't open up their network to security risk.