Trend Micro on Monday will introduce new versions of its VirusWall family of security appliances, designed to help network administrators make sure that the computers on their networks are secure.

Called Network VirusWall Enforcer, the appliances will scan PCs and laptops that connect to the network to ensure that they have up-to-date security software and the latest Microsoft security patches, said Malav Patel, global product marketing manger with Trend Micro. "It's a general-purpose policy enforcement appliance," he said.

The NAC (network access control) appliance will also scan network traffic looking for worms and malicious software, he said.

Trend Micro plans to ship two versions of the product: The VirusWall Enforcer 2500, which will support up to 4,000 users, and the smaller-scale VirusWall Enforcer 1200, designed for up to 250 users. Already available for beta testing, the Enforcer 2500 will begin shipping in June. The Enforcer 1200 is expected to ship by the end of September.

The Enforcer products are similar to Trend Micro's existing VirusWall 1200 and VirusWall 2500 outbreak prevention systems. But unlike their predecessors, which were designed for use only during virus outbreaks, the new appliances will constantly enforce network access policy, ensuring that unprotected PCs never gain access to the network.

If it detects a virus infection, VirusWall Enforcer will quarantine the affected computer and then remove all infected system files and registry entries. It will also kill the processes that are running in memory and help the user patch the PC. "It removes any viruses that are likely to spread, " Patel said.

Customers who have purchased the earlier VirusWall 1200 and 2500 products will be offered a free download tool that can be used to add the VirusWall Enforcer features to their outbreak prevention appliances, he said.

VirusWall Enforcer 1200 will have a list price of $8,995. The more powerful 2500 model will be priced starting at $14,995 for 250 users. With 4,000 users on the network, the product will cost $49,995, Patel said.

More information on VirusWall Enforcer can be found here.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.