Symantec Firewall Appliance Targets Midsize Firms

Symantec Corp. will announce the next member of its gateway security series on Oct. 26. The Cupertino, Calif., security vendors new Symantec Gateway Security 400 Series is designed to fit into organizations with 75 to 200 users that are part of a larger enterprise.

According to George Sluz, group product manager for entry-level appliances, the 400 series is targeted at enterprises with remote or branch offices.

“It works with the 5400 series,” Sluz said, noting that the 400 series products can be managed on an enterprisewide basis so that thousands of the appliances can be managed from one location. “It uses the Symantec Security Management System,” Sluz said, adding that this is part of SESA, the Symantec Enterprise Security Architecture.

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The 400 series differs from the earlier 300 series of security gateways in that it has the management support embedded in the device, and in the performance of the hardware itself.

While Symantec recommends the 400 series devices for organizations with 75 to 200 users, depending on which model is selected, there is no upper limit to the number of licensed users. That means that a model 420 gateway wouldnt suddenly stop working when the 76th user is added, although managers might want to upgrade because of performance reasons.

The 400 series gateways are intended to be more than just your usual gateway/firewall. Additional functions include centralized management, stateful inspection, iPass-compliant VPNs and an optional wireless LAN module that supports 802.11b and 802.11g. The gateway also supports features such as network address translation and DHCP [Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol] services, and it includes a 10/100 Ethernet switch.

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The high end of the 400 series, the 460, also can support two WAN ports with failover and load balancing. One notable feature is that the 400 series can enforce anti-virus policies. The gateway can check to make sure a remote user meets company security policies—and refuse to connect them if they do not. The Symantec Gateway Security 400 Series will be available about Oct. 25. Pricing will start at $424.

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