The release includes the ability to create secure connectivity for mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad.
WatchGuard
Technologies, a provider of business security solutions, unveiled its latest
security operating system for the XTM line of unified threat management
appliances. With this release, businesses gain advanced networking
capabilities for mobile workers, as well as enhanced management and reporting
functions that provide insight into applications, bandwidth usage, user
behavior and more. The release of the XTM appliance software is available free
to customers with current WatchGuard LiveSecurity subscriptions.
One
of the new features provided by this latest WatchGuard release includes the
ability to create secure connectivity for mobile devices. By supporting the
IPSec functionality already present on Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices,
WatchGuard provides users of such devices with a way to securely access
corporate resources from any place. Designed for operation by administrators
and end users alike, the functionality embraces the growing business adoption
of these popular devices.
The
release also delivers a new logging interface for log searching, while an
interactive reporting dashboard provides a high-level view of network activity,
combined with the ability to drill down to find out more about specific users,
applications, URLs and more.
"The
ultimate firewall is a result of continuous innovation and product
improvement," said Tim Helming, director of product management at WatchGuard.
"This release is another step in the ongoing march to provide unbeatable network
security, data protection and advanced reporting intelligence."
The
upgrade enhances email security by providing options to require Transport Layer
Security (TLS), which encrypts sensitive email communications to prevent
electronic eavesdropping. With TLS support, companies can enforce email
security policies that require encryption for some or all emails.
Administrators can also set up rules to block unencrypted mails sent to
specified address/domains, or enforce the use of TLS when the remote server supports
it.
WatchGuard
appliances also give administrators the option to create firewall rules based
user and group names, rather than just IP addresses. Single Sign-On with Active
Directory is used to map end-user computers to their user names, with the added
ability of not requiring users to first visit a firewall log-in screen to begin
their browsing sessions. With the new release, the SSO Agent has been enhanced
to better detect user log-on and log-off activities, making it easier to
define, enforce and audit user and group-based policies without having to
install SSO software on each client computer.
The
company also continues to add IPv6 functionality. The IPv6ready Gold logo
for routing validates this phase, confirming that the basic "plumbing," the packet
routing building blocks of IPv6, works correctly. The latest release
includes support for static network routing through the firewall, and
WatchGuard XTM appliances running this latest release have achieved the Gold
logo certification for routing.
In
addition, the company announced the launch of a small business security
appliance, the XTM 330. Aimed at businesses with 30 to 50 users, the XTM 330
appliance provides advanced network protection in a rackmount gateway security
appliance. List pricing for the XTM 330 begins at $1,165 and varies depending
on security services selected. In addition to firewall and intrusion prevention
capabilities, customers can choose to add Application Control, Gateway
Anti-virus, WebBlocker, spamBlocker and WatchGuard's cloud-based security
service, Reputation Enabled Defense.
Nathan Eddy is Associate Editor, Midmarket, at eWEEK.com. Before joining eWEEK.com, Nate was a writer with ChannelWeb and he served as an editor at FierceMarkets. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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