Niche security distributor, Unixpac, has become the first local supplier of Web gateway products for US-based vendor, Mi5 Networks.

Unixpac managing director, Tom Piotrowski, said it had spent the past year investigating the Web application security market for potential vendors. "Bluecoat has entrenched itself well in this market, so we have been looking for something visionary," he said. "Over the past 12 months, Mi5 has shot from nothing to the top right-hand corner of Gartner's magic quadrant and has taken an innovative approach to this market."

Mi5's Linux-based Webgate appliances monitor outgoing Web traffic while also protecting internal servers from incoming nasties such as botnets, malware, spyware and phishing attacks. It can also be used to enforce corporate policies and regulatory compliance.

"The issue today is protection from the increase of malware through the Web," Piotrowski said. "Years ago we were fighting people who were bringing in a floppy disc and introducing viruses. Later on attention turned to clean emails and attachments. These days, the biggest issue is around going online. Websites are extracting lots of information we have authorised and using it to send malware back into the network.

"Companies don't often realise their network is a honeypot for vicious things coming from the outside. Mi5's hardware protects the gateway and Web traffic in and out."

Piotrowski said Mi5's products were scalable and could suit organisations with 100 or more users. Key targets were organisations relying or providing online services.

Unixpac will provide reseller training and a local version of the vendor's global Webgate channel partner program including marketing programs. Piotrowski said it would also provide end-user support services in conjunction with resellers.