With data security comprising a multitude of disciplines such as antivirus, intrusion detection and protection, authentication and more, the challenge of managing these often disparate activities can become a threat in itself. This is an issue faced by many medium to large organisations – but help is at hand. Directly addressing the complexity of effective and sound data security, specialist ICT solutions provider Westcon SA has introduced the Checkpoint UTM-1 appliance.

According to Donovan Mooney, Checkpoint product manager at Westcon SA, the Checkpoint UTM-1 is the direct result of the vendor’s initiative of unified threat management (hence UTM) which seeks to solves a multiplicity of issues with a single unit. “This provides peace of mind that all aspects of information security are addressed in a coordinated and systematic fashion," says Mooney.

He says the device is based upon Checkpoint's enterprise security expertise and the company's vision of a unified decurity srchitecture for businesses. The appliances are easily deployed and can be centrally controlled to help simplify management for multiple sites, while providing a level of security for which Checkpoint is respected.

The device protects against traditional threats through fully integrated security features including a stateful-inspection firewall, IPSec VPN, gateway antivirus and anti-spyware, and intrusion prevention. The UTM-1 also features a Web Application Firewall to protect Web servers, as well as security functions for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), instant messaging and peer-to-peer networks. Integrated Checkpoint SmartCenter management delivers centralised, built-in security management without the need for additional hardware or software. UTM-1 also enables secure connectivity for remote workers using integrated SSL VPN technologies, and gives IT administrators greater visibility into their network infrastructure through comprehensive monitoring and reporting features.

Notably, Mooney says the UTM-1 is not designed to eliminate all aspects of security management. “Securing data is an inherently complex task; attempts to oversimplify this endeavour are likely to result in lapses in security. Rather, this product is designed with the principle of simplification in mind, but without falling into the trap of solving all security threats, which at this stage is not practically possible. It instead takes care of numerous ‘common’ threats, leaving human attention to be focused on more sophisticated attacks.