Check Point offers VPN/firewall on a CD

Check Point says it has found an easy way for companies to install, configure and deploy its security software with its new SecurePlatform Media Pack, which the company announced Monday.

The SecurePlatform Media Pack is a bootable CD-ROM which contains Check Point's VPN-1 and Firewall-1 security software, in both small office and enterprise editions, as well as a Linux operating system that has been specially configured to be more secure than a standard Linux OS, all designed to allow businesses to quickly and easily implement security technologies, said Leslie Stern, product marketing manager at Check Point.

The software will install Linux and Check Point's products onto any PC with a Pentium processor or higher, and at least 64M bytes of RAM, although some of the software needs as much as 512M bytes of RAM, and 512M bytes of available hard disk space, Stern said.

Because the software is preconfigured and is installed through an interface designed to be easy to use, Check Point hopes to avoid the configuration difficulties that scare some businesses away from Linux, she said. The company has hardened the OS by removing features that aren't security-related, though Check Point hasn't added any features, Stern said. Check Point will also provide patches and updates for the operating system, she said.

The SecurePlatform Media Pack will allow Check Point to target more small to midsize businesses, which are both cost- and maintenance-conscious, Stern said.

Check Point, which has traditionally been dominant in the enterprise and carrier firewall and virtual private network markets, has recently turned its attention to smaller businesses. The company has offered customized versions of its software for those businesses, as well as releasing low-cost security appliances through a subsidiary.

The SecurePlatform Media Pack will cost $100 per disk, Stern said, with licenses for the software installed running their normal prices. Enterprise-level products start at $2,500, with small office products starting at $400, she said.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.