Security infrastructure vendor SonicWall announced the further development
of its Clean VPN technology with the release of Secure Sockets Layer VPN remote
access integrated into the company’s Unified Threat Management platform.
SonicWall claims SSL-based Clean VPN
integration delivers simplified and encrypted connectivity to remote network
users while revolutionizing protection by inspecting these same connections for
intrusions, malware and misuse.
SSL-based Clean VPN is available through the
SonicOS 5.2 firmware release for the TZ 210 and NSA firewalls and includes
features such as browser-based SonicWall NetExtender connectivity; support for
Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems; a customizable log-in portal; and
split tunnel and tunnel all modes.
"SonicWall's integrated SSL-based Clean
VPN technology offers our customers a breakthrough in simplicity and protection
for secure remote access," said the company’s director of product
management, Jon Kuhn. "Organizations want traveling employees and
contractors to have fast and immediate network access but may not know these
connections have the highest risk of spreading network threats. SonicWall's SSL
VPN feature set allows organizations simplified and efficient network access
without increasing their security risk."
The technology uses a deep packet inspection engine that can find malicious
content that may have been contracted while on the road, through network misuse
or through the use of unsecured networks. The company said it believes that in
today’s business environment, SMBs (small to medium-size businesses) need
increasingly distributed workforces, which drives the need to provide secure
network access to not only employees, but also contractors, customers and
partners.
The new challenge for network administrators is supporting simplified anytime,
anywhere access from endpoints that may not be completely secure. SonicWall claims
Clean VPN technology simplifies remote access by connecting users with a
browser-based SSL VPN connection without
requiring a preinstalled client.
“The inclusion of SSL VPN capabilities with
NSA appliances is a huge benefit for managed services providers and customers
alike," said security solutions firm Secure Designs’ CTO
Ron Culler. "This feature gives us much more flexibility in remote
management situations whether we're in the office or on the road.”
Culler said it allows the company to bypass many of the issues that can arise
with traditional IPSec VPN clients, and allows them to work seamlessly with a
variety of client operating systems. “It's an elegant and pragmatic solution
for us and our customers, enabling them the same flexibility to access their
network resources," he said.
Movable Wall
SonicWall also announced updates for the company’s SMB SSL
VPN solution that include mobile, Mac and IPv6 support. The release of SonicWall
SSL VPN 3.5 features enhanced remote support
and a “sleeker” interface design, along with Standalone Virtual Assist, which
enables an enhanced remote support experience for the technician.
Version 3.5 also includes application offloading, allowing the user to securely
access Web applications without a client while still leveraging the strong
authentication and granular access policy features of the SSL
VPN appliance, which SonicWall said could lead to potentially lower support
costs for an organization.
"More and more of our employees are working from home or on the move,
meaning we have to find ways to have access to the tools they need to work
while keeping our company network safe," said Remco Group IT Manager Mike
Thompson. "SonicWall's SSL VPN is
perfect for our needs, eliminating any lengthy setup time and providing a level
of flexibility to us and our employees that we have not experienced before."
 |
Midmarket News & Reviews 
