Symantec Unveils Do-It-All Data Risk Manager

A new version of the company's Information Foundation uses recently acquired technologies to secure and archive e-mail, IM and Web traffic in a single messaging software package.

LAS VEGAS—Data security provider Symantec said June 13 it will launch a rebundled version of its Information Foundation, an information risk management software suite that is a key part of the companys Security 2.0 and Storage United strategies.

Symantec Information Foundation 2007, expected to become available this summer as a software package or preinstalled on a hardware appliance, features advanced controls to help companies fight data loss with protection for e-mail, Web and instant messaging.

The new application bundle can also be customized and configured tactically to address a wide range of needs, from compliance and discovery to data leakage.

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The package enables all information entering or exiting the system to be accounted for—archived, audited and discovered—through a validated process that ensures proper company protocols are carried out, a Symantec spokesperson said.

SIF 2007 comprises the Symantec Enterprise Vault 2007 and Mail Security 8300 Series appliances, Symantec IM Manager 2007, and Symantec Mail Security for Domino 2007. It also includes several new features to help control the flow of data in organizations, including identification, classification and control of sensitive corporate data held in databases, e-mails, IM and file systems; and review, hold, release and audit of e-mail, IM and Web communications for policy compliance.

It has beta support for filtering outgoing Web mail to prevent accidental or intentional data loss through services such as Yahoo Mail, Microsoft Hotmail and Google Gmail. That service is a first in the market. E-mail and IM management for IBM Lotus and Microsoft Collaboration Platforms is also included.

SIF 2007, according to a company spokesperson, is the first risk management package of its kind to secure e-mail and IM from viruses, spam and "spim" (IM-borne spam), and other external threats. The application achieves this by integrating Symantecs IMlogic technology and using insight from Symantecs Global Intelligence Network.

The company also claims SIF 2007 is the first integrated suite to manage archiving and security for IBM Lotus and the Microsoft collaboration platforms—including new support for archiving Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Office Communication Server 2007.

SIF can be used as a tactical as well as a strategic tool, depending on the needs of the customer, said Vivian Tero, storage analyst with IDC in Framingham, Mass.

"What they are doing is creating specific workflows for each customer, depending upon the size and maturity of the company," Tero said. "Theyve preconfigured very distinct scenarios [for company risk management policies]. Last year they focused mostly on legal discovery, compliance requirements and storage optimization issues. Now they are focusing on data leakage.

"So theyve tightened the data classification and archiving policy features here. It looks like a good all-in-one solution. Well see how it plays out in day-to-day use," Tero said.

For more information on SIF 2007, go here.

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