Sygate looks to secure remote workers with new software

Aiming to add new layers and strength to the security that keeps remote workers safely connected to corporate networks, Sygate Technologies will release version 2.0 of its Sygate Secure Enterprise suite on Monday.

Sygate Secure Enterprise includes Sygate Management Server, Sygate Security Agent and Sygate VPN Enforcer. Features include firewall, intrusion detection, policy, reporting and authentication.

The Management Server runs on any Windows 2000 system using IIS (Internet Information Server) and stores security policies, user information and logs, according to Seth Knox, product manager for Sygate Secure Enterprise.

Also running on the server is the VPN Enforcer, which is placed behind the VPN and verifies that everyone requesting access to the network through the VPN has the proper security software and policies running before they are granted access to the network, he said. The last piece of the suite, Security Agent, is the client software that resides on each remote PC and offers both firewall and intrusion detection, as well as a system of rules and policies related to the two.

Security Agent's rules and policies features allow IT managers to configure security options to a minute degree, allowing them set the PC to only use a certain application during certain hours using certain protocols and connecting only to a small range of specified servers, for instance, Knox said. Security Agent also communicates at regular, user-defined intervals with the other two pieces of the suite to update security profiles, threat information and logs, he said.

Sygate Secure Enterprise 2.0 offers such improvements over version 1.0 as the ability to scale across multiple servers, enabling more users to be supported by the system, automatic replication of information across multiple servers, LDAP (lightweight directory access protocol) directory support and location and connection-based security, Knox said. Location and connection-based security rules allow different security profiles to be enabled for users depending on whether they are at work or at home or travelling, as well as based on what sort of Internet connection they are using, such as phone line, LAN or DSL, among others, he said.

IT administrators are able to configure systems and manage policies through a Web-based console written in Java and accessible by Web browser.

Sygate Secure Enterprise 2.0 is targeted at large enterprises, with some companies using it for as many as 50,000 employees, Knox said.

The suite costs US$60-$80 per user, dependent on what type of system -- desktop, laptop or server -- the Security Agent is installed on. The suite is available immediately worldwide.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.