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Security and storage solutions specialist Barracuda Networks announced the launch of the NG Firewall version 6.0, which offers Advanced Threat Detection (ATD), leveraging a virtual sandbox to detect malicious behavior such as attempts to steal data or disable security mechanisms.
With the ATD feature, Windows executable files, Android APK, PDF and Word documents can be analyzed. This on-demand analysis can be used to thwart propagation of zero-day exploits to users, and also results in corresponding entries in signature-based threat databases to prevent propagation of the threats.
The ATD analysis is integrated completely into the SSL Inspection to detect malware in encrypted data traffic. The F1000 model doubles the throughput rate achieved by the previous NG Firewall models to support data center deployments.
The F1000 supports a data throughput rate to 40G bps and in addition to the security features for malware, in plane switching (IPS) and distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection, the firewall also provides bandwidth management and load balancing.
The firewall also includes improved integration of mobile devices that can access corporate applications.
“The firewall is ideal for organizations with distributed locations,” Klaus Gheri, vice president of network security for Barracuda, told eWEEK. “This might include larger enterprises with multiple branch offices such as a bank, or midsized organizations with regional offices such as a real estate firm or retail shop.”
With NG Firewall version 6.0, administrators can set policies regarding access to corporate applications from iPhones, iPads or Android devices, and the new version also includes improved remote secure sockets layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) access through a browser-based portal.
Thanks to enhanced granular control, IT administrators can define rule-based policies governing which file types to check and policy actions after inspection. Options include preventing delivery of unknown files until after successful inspection or for immediate delivery of files with threat reports once detected.
If the firewall discovers a threat in a file that already has been delivered, then it automatically places the user in quarantine in order to prevent the malware from spreading.
The firewall is available at no additional charge to existing customers on the current hardware platform with an active Energize Updates Subscription.
The list price starts at $599 for the appliance and $99 for Energize Updates, with a one-year subscription. An optional ATD subscription is available for models F200 and higher and starts at a price of $399 per year.
An optional Instant Replacement service featuring priority replacement of failed hardware and complimentary refresh of four-year-old hardware units is available starting at $99 per year.
The NG Firewall Vx is a virtual appliance that runs on both VMware and Hyper-V environments and is sized based on target numbers of users. Pricing for virtual appliances starts at $599.
“The attack surface continues to grow as businesses of all sizes are becoming increasingly dispersed due to cloud usage and mobility,” Gheri explained. “Dispersion also means that the ability to communicate reliably and securely between the users, locations and the cloud will become more critical than ever to businesses. The associated threats are typically environmental and not necessarily targeted, but our traditional defenses are no longer sufficient by themselves.”