Check Point Software Technologies has launched a line of security gateway products designed to protect organizations’ networks and applications from internal threats. The Israeli-based Internet security vendor is targeting the InterSpect appliances towards the enterprise and high-end users in medium-sized
companies.
Instead of focusing on the network perimeter like traditional “”moat”” solutions such as firewalls, the company says the InterSpect line protects organizations from legitimate users who infect the network or unwittingly grant attackers access to the network via their laptops, PDAs and other devices.
The internal security gateway has five main defenses: intelligent worm defender, network zone segmentation, quarantine of suspicious computers, LAN protocol protection, and pre-emptive attack protection.
“”Timeline between a vulnerability and exploit is becoming shorter and shorter,”” said Shankar Swamy, strategic marketing manager for Check Point. “”Patch management people don’t have the luxury of waiting three days before they can issue a patch. It’s going down to a matter of hours now,””
Last week’s announcement is the first point of execution of the internal leg of the firm’s newly defined corporate technology strategy, which was set down last November.
Available in three models, InterSpect ranges in price from $9,000 to $39,000 US.
Swamy said the product’s two main benefits are manageability (InterSpect can be downloaded into existing network environments in minutes) and cost savings as a result from moving away from a private to a public network.
“”The main ROI is moving away from private lines to public networks with the same level of security,”” he said. “”The manageability aspect introduces some people and time savings. It’s improving the business process of the IT organization.””
The appliance is a marriage of software from Check Point and hardware made by Dell Inc., but will be sold through Check Point’s VAR network.
It has 100 resellers in its Canadian channel program and 2,500 globally.
InterSpect will be sold here through national service providers including Allstream Corp., Telus Corp. and Bell Canada as well as Information Security Technology Inc. (Western Canada), Conexsys Communications (Ontario), and ESI Technologies De L’information (Quebec/Eastern Canada).
At press time, an Allstream spokesperson said the Toronto-based communication solutions provider did not have enough knowledge of the product to comment.
A Check Point spokesman said the firm reaches out to its major partners through monthly or quarterly sales and technical training meetings. For its smaller partners, the company facilitates this activity through its high-value distributors, Westcon Group and GEAccess.
Check Point says its priority is to grow the success of its existing partners before recruiting new ones. Methods of recruitment include targeted media marketing programs and partnerships with its distributors to offer security opportunity awareness seminars.
Citing the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Swamy said Canada’s privacy law, which came into effect on Jan. 1, bodes well for Check Point products.
“”Corporations start to realize the importance of protecting private information, how data is stored, how data is transported,”” he said.
