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Network security and data protection solutions specialist SonicWall announced the launch of two remote access SSL VPN security solutions designed to help small to medium-size businesses and enterprises administer and monitor employee access to information behind the firewall. The Aventail 10.5 represents a software upgrade to existing enterprise class solutions, while the SRA 1200 is a new appliance tailored to SMB customers, the company noted.
Aventail 10.5 release brings enterprise features to the E-Class SRA series of clientless SSL VPN solutions. The solution provides secure access to corporate resources and supports thousands of concurrent users from a single appliance. The Aventail solution ties the unique mobile device ID to a specific user, confirms the user’s identity and verifies the security status of the end-point.
Once these security checks have been passed, the Aventail solution grants the appropriate level of access from any web-enabled device, including Internet kiosks, laptops, smart phones, tablet PCs or any other web enabled device. Updated features include Active Sync support for the Apple iPhone, iPad, Google Android and Symbian mobile devices and provides secure e-mail, contacts and calendar update synchronization with the corporate exchange server.
“Let’s face it: everyone is mobile these days. We are connected and work whenever, wherever. Whether you like it or not – the corporate I.T. department has already lost control of what mobile devices we use and how we use them. This issue is known as the ‘consumerization’ of I.T.,” said SonicWall’s vice president of product management Patrick Sweeney. “With the Aventail solution, we return control and security to I.T. and still give end-users total freedom of choice to select the mobile platform that’s right for them. We can determine the appropriate level of trust for each mobile device and automatically grant differentiated levels of access. We return to order and security from a chaotic and dangerous mobile environment.”
The SRA 1200 provides an updated unified policy management interface to help simplify how IT managers grant access to corporate resources. Additionally, the company integrated a Web Application Firewall (WAF) that incorporates dynamic signature updates to help protect against Web-based threats. For remote help desk support, IT administrators can employ Virtual Assist, which introduces tools to provide desktop support to remote workers without requiring fat clients or other solutions to be installed. Through the Virtual Access feature, employees can access unattended workstations at home or remote offices.
“SonicWall’s SRA 1200 introduces a wealth of new, powerful SMB-focused features that help reduce my clients’ costs, and expand the capabilities of their networks,” said Tom Gregorski, technical manager, of IT security solutions firm eDrivium Corp. “Best of all, innovative features like Virtual Assist help me support small businesses remotely without having to do a truck roll.”