Latest release of SonicOS adds anti-virus screening at the network edge.
SonicWall is introducing software for its VPN appliances that lets businesses screen Internet traffic for viruses as it enters their networks.
SonicWall is introducing software for its VPN appliances that lets businesses screen Internet traffic for viruses as it enters their networks.
Release 3.0 of the company’s SonicOS software equips all the company’s firewall/VPN gear with anti-virus protection, although the amount of protection varies depending on the appliance. The SonicWall Pro platforms filter against virus 24,000 signatures, while the smaller TZ platforms filter against 4,500.
This upgrade puts the software directly on the appliances, creating gateway anti-virus protection. The Network Anti-virus service makes sure desktop virus-scanning software is updated properly before the desktop can connect to the Internet.
The new software pits SonicWall against Fortinet and NetScreen Technologies, both of which offer anti-virus screening as part of their firewall/VPN appliances.
SonicWall says its software screens traffic as part of flows rather than as individual files and therefore faces no limits on the number of files it can handle at once.
The screening also can be performed between LAN zones to ensure viruses infecting one network segment don’t reach other segments.
This type of protection is an alternative to more sophisticated – and more expensive – proxy firewalls, says Raymond Pompon, a network security consultant for Conjungi Networks in Seattle. He says another alternative is to put anti-virus software on all desktops, but that often proves faulty because every workstation must defend itself.
“We find that 10% to 15% are either misconfigured or not updated,” he says, meaning that viruses can gain a foothold in corporate networks. Stopping them at the firewall adds another layer of protection.
| Multifunction security appliance growth A host of factors lead to the conclusion that appliances that perform multiple security functions such as firewall, VPN, virus protection and intrusion prevention will grow in popularity, according to IDC. | ||||||||
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The software also updates SonicWall’s intrusion-prevention package so customers can break users into groups and assign different security policies to the different groups. So for instance, instant messaging might be approved for one group but considered a possible intrusion for another.
SonicOS 3.0 also supports authentication via Active Directory and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol directories, making it possible to reduce the work required to set up authentication profiles for VPN remote access using SonicWall gear as a gateway.
The software supports real-time black list services – checking for known spammers and open relays via DNS queries and blocking those that have been black-listed. Pompon says many businesses buy separate spam-blocking gear, but it can be beyond the means of many small to midsize businesses.
The new software is sold with new purchases of SonicWall’s latest hardware.
