Companies today are exposed to countless Internet threats. It is not just a matter of specific viruses preventing one or two computers from operating correctly –although this still happens- but of an arsenal of threats designed to attack companies through various channels and of inappropriate use of the Internet by employees, undermining productivity.
The major threats are:
–Â Malware: So far this year, PandaLabs has detected an average of ten thousand new strains every day. The sheer volume of new malware in circulation is the main threat to companies.
–Â Potentially dangerous content: Inappropriate, unproductive content (music files, films, etc.) downloaded in working hours by employees, and outbound content which has to be filtered to ensure confidential or valuable information does not leave the company.
–Â Spam: Nucleus Research, an independent consultant, put the cost of receiving and deleting spam for American companies at 874 dollars per employee.
–Â P2P and instant messaging applications: These tools can be exploited maliciously and can reduce corporate productivity.
– Irrelevant Web content: According to the study ‘Internet use at work’ carried out by the Online Publishers Association and the Nielsen/NeReanings consultancy, 80% of employees who access the Internet at work do so to read the daily news. 40% maintain they visit travel portals at least once a week, and 37% claim they use it to plan their weekly social events. This is unproductive use of the Internet which many companies simply don’t know how to stop.
These dangers and threats result in financial losses and consequently, reduced profits.
Panda Security has developed the new 9000 series of its Panda GateDefender Performa security appliances to block these threats effectively and efficiently. It is a complete, high-performance SCM perimeter security appliance, providing proactive corporate network protection against content-based threats, and integrating easily on any network without having to adapt existing architecture.
More proactive:
The new Panda GateDefender Performa version detects unknown threats thanks to its proactive technologies. Panda Security’s collective intelligence allows Panda GateDefender Performa to automatically detect and send unknown malware to PandaLabs, which in turn rapidly generates the vaccines. . The new malware signatures are updated every hour in the appliance and any new malware is automatically disinfected.
Spam signatures, on the other hand, are updated every minute, drastically reducing the spread of new spam.
More complete:
According to Gartner, by 2010, content security appliances will have to include inbound and outbound scans supporting diverse mail and Internet protocols. Panda GateDefender Performa has covered these needs since it first appeared in 2004 and as such, is one of the most visionary solutions on the market.
The features offered by this new series include scanning for potentially dangerous content in inbound and outbound traffic. This prevents employees from downloading malicious or unproductive content and stops confidential information from leaving the company.
Panda GateDefender Performa improves productivity thanks to the customizable blocking of time-wasting pages or applications (online newspapers, download portals, etc.).
This security appliance also aids risk control, helps companies meet regulatory standards and ensures business continuity, guaranteeing receipt of important information and maintaining network traffic flow.
The new Panda GateDefender Performa offers a series of advanced features that place it way ahead of other appliances on the market. It implements a separate quarantine system for malware, spam and filtered content.
Panda GateDefender Performa, also supports integration with LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) and Active Directory, increasing security control over network users.
Security profiles can be assigned to users or groups, adapting security levels to the needs of each person or department, while the centralized administration console makes perimeter security management much simpler.
Another advantage of these appliances is their high performance and scalability.
More powerful:
According to a report by the Telegeography consultancy, Internet use increased 53% from June 2007 to June 2008, meaning security appliances that scan inbound and outbound traffic have to be more robust in order to manage all traffic.
Panda GateDefender Performa 9000 is much more powerful in order to meet companies’ needs regarding Internet use.
A proactive, powerful and complete appliance provides the most efficient protection to protect corporate network perimeters.
Alejandro Castañar
Perimeter Solutions – Product Manager
Panda Security specializes in the development of endpoint security products and is part of the WatchGuard portfolio of IT security solutions. Initially focused on the development of antivirus software, the company has since expanded its line of business to advanced cyber-security services with technology for preventing cyber-crime.
