According to the Gartner research group, meeting the constantly evolving security challenges facing businesses today requires flexible and ubiquitous intrusion prevention capabilities.
In meeting this challenge, 3Com Corp has announced what it says is its most comprehensive suite of security solutions yet offered. It has released robust enhancements to a number of its offerings in a bid to provide multiple layers of protection at distributed points of an enterprise network, from the core to the perimeter to authorised users.
"Our aim is to offer network managers the broadest and most practical range of network security solutions available," says Chris van Niekerk, 3Com SA country manager.
Key products in the 3Com portfolio that have been upgraded include the SuperStack 3 Firewall, SuperStack 3 4400 Switch family and 3Com`s Network Supervisor software.
"The upgrades, when combined with 3Com`s centrally managed embedded firewall solutions for notebooks and desktop computers, are designed to meet the increasing demands for more secure networks," says Van Niekerk.
He says that security is no longer an "add-on" but should be woven into the fabric of a business. "At the same time, organisations want security solutions that are tailored to their business needs, yet are simply deployed, controlled and managed.
"Today the marketplace demands tamper-resistant enterprise networks which are as simple as possible to run - without compromising flexibility and versatility.
"Our development strategy is based on a practical approach to address customers` security needs that span the total network," he notes.
Technical perspective
The following is an overview of the enhancements announced by 3Com:
The SuperStack 3 Firewall now eliminates the need for third-party VPN software by offering interoperability with Microsoft VPN clients on Windows 2000 and XP operating systems.
IT departments once forced to pay per VPN licence on third-party software and then install the licences on each notebook and desktop computer now have instant VPN capabilities for remote staff with less management hassle.
In addition, IT staff can determine - with flexibility - when and which kind of traffic moves unimpeded through the firewall out across the WAN. Prioritisation can be determined through parameters such as time of day, allowing for faster overnight storage backup, or by application, to give precedence to networked telephony traffic.
Traditionally a feature of more expensive security devices, the SuperStack 3 can be configured to create two secure but separate networks through a single firewall. This allows IT administrators to segregate sensitive information. For example, a hospital administration network could be protected from the "medical" network on a single firewall, yet all users would enjoy access to the Internet and protection from external hackers.
The latest software release for the SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 family adds Network Login 802.1X support, further enhancing network security in the wiring cabinet and making it possible to authenticate every user on the network.
As well as providing all the 802.1X authentication and accounting functionality, 3Com takes the 802.1X solution one stage further by integrating support into 3Com Network Supervisor Advanced Package.
Once authenticated, 3Com Network Supervisor Advanced Package can track and identify each user, including which switch they are connected to, allowing network administrators to efficiently track down user-based problems and potential hackers.
The combination of 3Com Network Supervisor Advanced Package, 802.1X authentication and the advanced layer 4 capabilities of the SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 makes it possible to secure the wiring closets throughout the organisation simply and efficiently.
3Com Network Supervisor Advance Package is a powerful management application that graphically discovers, maps, and displays network links and IP devices so IT managers can easily monitor stress levels, set thresholds and alerts, view network events, generate reports in user-defined formats, and launch device configuration tools.
New features include support for 802.1X network login and RADIUS server identification. Clients now appear and disappear in real-time on network maps as they log on and off.
It offers users the ability to schedule key tasks such as network discovery, device configuration backup and software agent updates for more flexible, productive network administration.
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