SonicWall offers versatile security platform

SonicWall this week is introducing a new multifunction security device that can scan for a laundry list of malicious activity within corporate networks and keep outbreaks contained to LAN segments.

Called Pro 4100, the appliance performs anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, intrusion-prevention and anti-phishing screening as well as keeping track of where proprietary data moves. It also acts as a VPN gateway and performs endpoint scanning to see whether machines attempting to access the network meet corporate security policies.

The company says this is part of its unified threat management family of products that includes the Pro 4060 for distributed networks and the Pro 5060 for large data centers. These devices all support the same set of security functions but at varying capacities and with varying numbers and types of ports. Companies making similar gear include Cisco, Fortinet, Juniper, Symantec, ServGate and Secure Computing.

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SonicWall this week is introducing a new multifunction security device that can scan for a laundry list of malicious activity within corporate networks and keep outbreaks contained to LAN segments.

Called Pro 4100, the appliance performs anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, intrusion-prevention and anti-phishing screening as well as keeping track of where proprietary data moves. It also acts as a VPN gateway and performs endpoint scanning to see whether machines attempting to access the network meet corporate security policies.

The company says this is part of its unified threat management family of products that includes the Pro 4060 for distributed networks and the Pro 5060 for large data centers. These devices all support the same set of security functions but at varying capacities and with varying numbers and types of ports. Companies making similar gear include Cisco, Fortinet, Juniper, Symantec, ServGate and Secure Computing.

These multifunction platforms are attractive because they can be placed at critical network junctions to thoroughly screen traffic for a broad spectrum of threats and block the ones they identify. An IDC study of the devices says advantages include reducing network complexity by eliminating many separate pieces of hardware, simplifying remote security and bringing networks back up quicker when they fail by replacing one box rather than troubleshooting multiple boxes.

This type of device also is supplanting popular firewall/VPN appliances and will overtake them in 2008, the study says.

With 10 1G bit/sec Ethernet ports, SonicWall's new device can support a large site with multiple network segments and keep the traffic physically separated. This high port count is meant for businesses that have many devices sandwiched between firewalls in isolated network segments accepting traffic from the Internet. The Pro 4100 boxes can thoroughly examine traffic and drop it based on whether it finds activity or signatures that indicate it might be malicious.

The devices also can be used to terminate wireless LANs, providing VPN security as well as threat mitigation for Wi-Fi network segments.

Pro 4100 supports SonicWall's Global Management System software and its Viewpoint reporting software so customers can set policies and manage thousands of the devices from a single platform and generate reports on threat activity.

SonicWall says the device has an 800M bit/sec firewall and 350M bit/sec VPN that can support 1,500 IPSec remote access users.

SonicWall Pro 4100 costs $7,000 and is available now.

Read more about security in Network World's Security section.