Johannesburg, 05 Mar 2014
WatchGuard Technologies, a leader in integrated security platforms, today announced the WatchGuard Firebox T10 unified threat management (UTM) solution, a network security appliance that allows enterprises to extend powerful network security to small office home office (SOHO) environments.
With 70% of high-value employees working at home at least once a week (i), the new solution allows network administrators to ensure robust protection of employees who are often managing the companies' most critical intellectual property. The Firebox T10 features WatchGuard's cloud-based RapidDeploy capability, which instantly self-configures and begins reporting back to the administrator's central console by simply plugging in the appliance.
"It's no secret that attackers go for the weakest link when trying to get into a corporate network, and this is often a home office or small office user. Yet, many organisations continue to rely on little or no security," said Mike Jude, senior analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "The ability to leverage the power of a UTM solution, like the Firebox T10, in remote locations and manage them from a single, central console, gives IT a powerful tool for administering and enforcing policy. And, it gives them a clear understanding of what's happening across their network - sum total."
According to a recent global WatchGuard survey of IT professionals (ii), more than 82% allow employees to access the corporate network from a small office or home office location. However, nearly 30% do not require a gateway security device. For those that do, only 23% require the use of security products similar to those used in the corporate headquarters, with features such as intrusion prevention, anti-virus, data loss prevention, application control, anti-spam, and more. (Click here ) to see the complete SOHO security infographic.
In the same study, WatchGuard also found 56% feel basic VPN access provides the needed protection against today's SOHO threat landscape. WatchGuard's Director of Security Strategy, Corey Nachreiner, says VPN access is not complete security. "VPN access has long been the standard for protecting communications for home-based employees," said Nachreiner. "However, if your endpoint device is not protected at the same level as your enterprise network, the VPN tunnel simply provides an open window into your business. You need to protect both, and the Firebox T10 is designed to make that easy and cost-effective."
As the Firebox T10 rolls out to the market, WatchGuard anticipates the small, cost-effective solution will also appeal to customers seeking full UTM protection for mobile kiosks and carts, such as those used in retail and healthcare environments, that regularly handle credit cards and personal information - and must meet the same stringent PCI and HIPAA compliance standards as larger offices and businesses.
Enhanced visibility, capability, speed
The Firebox T10 delivers not only the same powerful UTM capabilities as the company's larger models, including the RapidDeploy functionality, but it also features the company's new visibility solution, WatchGuard Dimension. This zero-install, cloud-ready tool provides real-time security intelligence, and allows administrators to have big data-style views of key threats and top site usage across an entire user base. Plus, WatchGuard UTM solutions feature full versions of the industry's best-of-breed technologies, including: anti-spam, anti-virus, and URL filtering.
The Firebox T10 is the industry's only enterprise-level UTM solution with comprehensive services for the home office at a reasonable price. Lastly, with the Firebox T10 and the full UTM suite on site, users will not experience the latency normally caused by backhauling traffic through the corporate servers to ensure protection.
(i) Beyond SOHO - The Future of Work, December 2013, Frost & Sullivan
(ii) Global WatchGuard 2014 Security Professional Survey, February 2014
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