Product Briefing: Network Security Suites

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Now is the time to address your information security needs. Why? According to Gartner Group’s “Total Cost of Ownership Model for Information Security,” if you don’t it will cost you 10 times more 10 years from now.

Gartner figures the total cost of information security is now, on average, 0.4 percent of a company’s revenue. It expects that to accelerate to 44 percent by 2011.

As a practical matter, network managers have two choices — buy an integrated network security suite or use a managed security provider. Though this buyer’s briefing will concentrate on products, know that a great many of the vendors we’ve included also offer managed security services. While application service providers haven’t caught on with IT yet for most applications, managed security services are faring pretty well.

In theory, integrated security suites should provide total security for any network. Product lines can include software and network devices. Most or all of the following should be part of the vendors full security solution offerings:

Firewalls
VPNs
Virus scanning
Content filtering
URL authentication
Reporting
Network management

For the most part, the products in the marketplace are from well-established vendors with names you probably know. However, with all these pieces needed to round out complete offerings for the enterprise, vendors have had to take steps to ensure full product lines. In the last three years, those steps have generally been partnerships or acquisitions.

For example, Axent Technologies (Raptor) was purchased by anti-virus king Symantec. PGP’s Gauntlet is now Network Associates, the market leader. Cisco was also in the buying mood, allowing them to incorporate security at a chip level in their routers and switches. CheckPoint took the partnership route, with ISV products being certified to work within their Open Platform for Security.

Below are 10 vendors that offer integrated suites. Look carefully, however, at product names, because your favorite may no longer be with the vendor you expect. Other security vendors include NetScreen Technologies, Network Associates (PGP Security — Gauntlet), Citadel Technologies and NetGuard.

Vendor: Aliroo
Product: PrivaSuite
OS: WinNT; MS Win 2000
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: No
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: No
Intrusion Detection: No

Vendor: Anywhere Technology
Product: EverLink Suite
OS: WinNT; OS/2; Linux
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: No
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: Yes
Intrusion Detection: No

Vendor: Assured Digital
Product: ADI-AMS
OS: WinNT
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: Yes
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: Yes
Intrusion Detection: No

Vendor: CheckPoint Software
Product: CheckPoint RealSecure
OS: WinNT; Solaris
Encryption/PKI: No
VPN: Yes
Virus Detection: Yes
Authentication: No
Intrusion Detection: Yes

Vendor: Computer Associates
Product: eTrust
OS: WinNT; MS Win 2000; Unix
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: Yes
Virus Detection: Yes
Authentication: No
Intrusion Detection: Yes

Vendor: CYLINK
Product: PrivateWire 3.0
OS: WinNT; MS Win 2000; Solaris
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: No
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: Ye
Intrusion Detection: No

Vendor: Fortress Technologies
Product: NetFortress M-Series
OS: WinNT; MS Win 98/2000
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: Yes
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: Yes
Intrusion Detection: No

Vendor: Internet Security Systems
Product: SAFESuite Decisions
OS: WinNT; MS Win 2000; UNIX; Solaris; Linux RedHat
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: Yes
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: Yes
Intrusion Detection: Yes

Vendor: Secure Computing
Product: SafeWord
OS: WinNT; MS Win 2000
Encryption/PKI: Yes
VPN: No
Virus Detection: No
Authentication: Yes
Intrusion Detection: No

Vendor: Sonic Systems
Product: SonicWALL
OS: WinNT; UNIX
Encryption/PKI: No
VPN: Yes
Virus Detection: Yes
Authentication: Yes
Intrusion Detection: No

For background on network security suites, see the associated CrossNodes Briefing by Gerry Williams. Or try these search engines key words: Integrated suites; network security suites; intrusion detection systems; enterprise security.

Dayna Delmonico writes for CrossNodes, an internet.com Web site.