Security: Reviews

Microsoft NAP is an effective network gatekeeper for Windows endpoints, but initial configuration is complex, policies are basic, and reporting is absent. NAP is best used as a core technology deployed in combination with others for a more complete, manageable, and scalable solution.

IronPort S160

Many sandbox security vendors claim that their products stop all known and unknown attacks. Even assuming the ability to curtail all known attacks could be proven, it's simply impossible to believe that any piece of software could halt all unknown attacks. Of course, that doesn't prevent the vendors from making empty promises or the malware authors from proving them wrong.

The Internet is a scary place. Criminal malware lurks on legitimate and illegitimate Web sites alike, looking to steal your money one way or the other. Vendors have been scratching their collective heads attempting to make more consumers safer, more often. One of the results has been a class of anti-malware software that I call sandbox protection products. These items encapsulate Internet browsers (and e-mail programs and sometimes any other program you can run) within a virtual, emulated cocoon designed to keep malware from reaching and modifying the underlying host computer.

Fans of all-in-one security suites should take a serious look at the just-released Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, which includes modules for antivirus, antispyware, firewall and more, yet uses little enough system resources and RAM that it won't slow down or clog up your system.

The news media is full of stories about e-mails and documents that were better off not sent. Last year an airline CEO accidentally sent an ultra harsh e-mail to complaining customers, the text of which was obviously not intended for the customers. Frustrated employees frequently send embarrassing internal memorandum to public news sources. And is there an e-mail user who hasn't regretted accidentally sending an e-mail to an unintended party? Whether e-mail or documents are sent intentionally or not, it is clear that content intended for a restricted audience is being shared with unauthorized parties on a regular basis.

Check Point Software's new Web browser security software, called ZoneAlarm ForceField, integrates a host-based firewall, anti-spyware, Web site rating, anti-phishing, and keylogger-jamming into a limited virtualization environment with the elegant user interface you've come to expect from the ZoneAlarm brand. Its goal is to provide superior anti-malware protection against the increasingly prevalent and complex threats posed to Internet surfers.

Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0

The latest version of Norton Internet Security brings some much-needed updates and improvements to a first-rate product that was groaning under its weight of features.

ARN reviews the latest products for the week commencing 3 October 2007

Symantec Network Access Control (SNAC) evolved from endpoint-security technology the company picked up from its 2005 acquisition of Sygate. In our evaluation, there was no silver bullet that put Symantec on the top of the heap. Rather it edged out the competition for its breadth of coverage in the areas of deployment options, endpoint assessments and flexible policy creation.

ARN looks at the latest security products for the week commencing July 11, 2007

Many dangers threaten us on the Internet - even when we're just browsing the Web. McAfee's SiteAdvisor Plus, the fee-based sibling of the security software firm's free Site Advisor product, and Symantec's Norton Confidential, focus on protecting users as they interact with websites. Both apps work only with Internet Explorer 6 and later.

A decade ago, life was much simpler: the only threat to PC security came from viruses. Today, the situation is very different. A mere antivirus program is nowhere near sufficient and most users, rightfully, are highly security conscious.

ARN looks at the latest security products for the week commencing 6 December, 2006.

This week ARN looks at the latest security products.

Small businesses looking to set up ship with e-mail, file and printer sharing, and a Web presence have options such as Microsoft's Small Business Server, or even Linux distributions that come with all the software you need (although setup and configuration isn't for the faint of heart).

Check Point's new VPN-1 Edge W touts wireless access support, better performance and a new print server, a combination that makes it a solid addition to the company's line of small security gateways. In this exclusive Clear Choice test, we focused on the features most attractive to enterprise network managers: wireless, VPN, QoS, high availability and management.

Geared to the SMB market, WatchGuard Technologies's Firebox X series offers a feature set comparable to more expensive firewalls -- along with some of the accompanying setup and administration complexities of enterprise firewalls.

If you need to provide secure remote access to Web-based apps as well as other network resources, then an SSL VPN is a great choice.