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Astaro delivers next-generation firewall with Security Gateway version 8.2

Announcement posted by Sophos 12 Aug 2011

New features increase network performance, visibility and control

Sydney, Australia, 12, August, 2011– Astaro, (http://www.astaro.com) a Sophos company and leading Unified Threat Management provider, today extended next-generation firewall capabilities to the Astaro Security Gateway with the availability of version 8.2 . The new version introduces 60 new features and enhancements including Application Control, Interactive Web Reporting and a new authentication agent. These will dramatically improve network performance, visibility and control.

Astaro Security Gateway version 8.2 provides organisations with the resources they need to meet the ever-changing challenges of securing a business network.  The increased control and visibility will allow organisations to make better decisions based on the company’s unique needs and network usage trends. 

“As technology changes, so too must the tools organisations use to control their networks,” said Jan Hichert, Senior Vice President, Network Security, Sophos. “With version 8.2 we once again ensure our customers can face current and future network and security challenges by offering the next generation of firewall technology; Application Control.”

“To protect networks from a growing number of emerging threats, organisations need to transition to a next-generation firewall infrastructure for complete security,” said Norbert Kiss, Vice President, Astaro Asia Pacific, Network Security. ”Web application control has become a defining feature in advanced firewalls with the increasing usage of of social media and web 2.0 applications at work. It has become critical for enterprises in Asia to control how their empoloyees use the Internet as we work towards the call for greater productivity and security in this region.”

Some of the new features include:

         Astaro’s Application Control improves network visibility, blocks unwanted applications and empowers IT administrators to prioritise bandwidth usageThis information can then be used to make educated decisions that will have the most impact on the business and their security policy to fit the organisation’s Internet usage. The new engine is up to 100% faster than the IM/P2P control engine in previous versions.

         The enhanced Interactive Web Reporting tool will provide administrators with a superior user experience that is customisable. Administrators will be able to save customer filters and subscribe to periodical mail reports.

         The Authentication Agent allows administrators to authenticate users by name instead of IP address. This provides increased control over access in profiles and makes reports easier to read.

These include support for 3G/UMTS USB modems, Form Hardening for Web Application Security, Web Filtering Safe Search Enforcement, enhanced virtualisation support, increased IPS performance by up to 250%, SNMP v3, weighted balancing for WAN Uplink and server load balancing, group-in-group support for network groups, SSID to Access Point assignment, rebootless reconfiguration of Access points, VPN performance increases by up to 100%, and more. Additional information about features and enhancements can be found here.

Astaro Security Gateway version 8.2 also integrates a technical preview of Astaro’s upcoming Log Management solution. All users will be able to try it out for free.

About Astaro

With over 56,000 installations worldwide, Astaro protects business, school, healthcare and government networks against IT security threats. Astaro combines the latest technologies in all-in-one solutions that are easy to deploy and manage. Distributed by a global network of certified partners, Astaro provides complete protection for headquarters, branch offices and data centers. Founded in 2000, Astaro, now a Sophos company, continues to be a leading vendor in the fast-growing market for Unified-Threat-Management. More information can be found at www.astaro.com

Press Contact:
Astaro Asia Pte Ltd
Cheryl Tuquib
T: + 65 6227 2700

ctuquib@astaro.com