D-Link collaborates with Check Point for security devices

D-Link plans to come out with appliances that include a firewall, VPN and the ability to defend against attacks directed at specific applications.

The new boxes will be part of the vendor’s NetDefend product line and will draw on the cachet of Check Point by using Check Point’s Embedded NGX software as the basis of the products. NGX is the backbone of Check Point’s business.

With NGX on the appliances, customers will be able to use software interfaces to connect the devices to overarching security management systems, making them more suitable for multi-site deployment. The Check Point software comes standard with some management features such as auto-updating.

This alliance represents an advance for businesses that perhaps wanted intrusion prevention as well as firewalls but could not afford it in smaller offices. While individual devices have not been announced, D-Link is known for economical networking gear, and these products are expected to fall into the same category.

The devices will provide anti-virus protection for an entire site, as well as URL filtering.

In addition, customers who want to pay for it can subscribe to update services from Check Point to, for example, keep virus signatures current.

At the moment, both companies have announced just that they will co-develop these new devices, and on the face of it this seems likely to result in products worth checking out.

When the devices hit the market, it will be important for customers to check out what the licensing arrangement is for the software. It can be cumbersome to deal with two vendors for a single appliance, and depending on the cost, could squeeze the gear out of contention for budget-strapped customers.