Security company Symantec, traditionally associated with anti-virus software, this morning announced its local entry into the hardware appliance market with a characteristically yellow-coloured Symantec Gateway Security (SGS) appliance.
The rack-mounted SGS series of appliances integrate Symantec`s range of software products "at a hardware level ... to provide customers with an easy-to-use integrated network solution," according to Patrick Evans, Symantec regional manager for Africa.
The SGS, available in three difference configurations, offers users layer seven security in range of individual areas of network security, namely anti-virus, firewall, intrusion detection, virtual private network and content filtering. What makes the product unique, says Evans, is that "Symantec is the only company that owns all of these technologies", significantly simplifying the maintenance and update of the product from one source.
"We are offering what CIOs are looking for: reduced numbers of vendors and proven technologies."
The current global trend towards Internet appliances is largely founded on a combination of security skills shortages worldwide as well as the growing complexity of what are called "blended" threats. Blended threats such as Nimda use a variety of known vulnerabilities to penetrate and infect systems. To protect against these, corporations need to monitor their systems for virus activity as well as hacking attacks and undesirable content and Web sites.
"Small to medium-sized offices often do not have the resources and dedicated IT personnel needed to manage multiple, complex network security products," says Evans.
Management of the gateway is through a single console which is in turn capable of monitoring and managing multiple gateways through the single console. By default, the SGS has the strictest security applied and ports are all closed when installed. Initial configuration is through a front-mounted control panel, after which management is through a Windows management console that runs on both NT and Windows 2000.
Once rules are established, updates are scheduled and done through the Symantec LiveUpdate suite. These include virus patterns as well as intrusion detection patterns and vulnerabilities.
The SGS is based on a hardened Linux kernel. The SGS 5110 offers up to 50 nodes, the 5200 provides 250 nodes, and the 5300 up to 5 300 nodes. However, any of these can be combined to offer up to 8 000 nodes. All are 1U rack mount sized.
Local pricing starts at around R129 000 for the 5110, up to more than R500 000 for the 5300.
Share
