Check Point Software is upgrading its multifunction security appliances with antispam capabilities, support for secure wireless connectivity and protection for devices that control industrial infrastructure.
The latest version of firmware for UTM-1 Edge appliances includes antispam capabilities that the company claims will block 98% of e-mail spam with a low percentage of false positives.
The devices now support the extensible authentication protocol used in Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2 wireless networks. EAP is used to negotiate authentication securely to help keep wireless networks safe from intruders.
The UTMs with upgraded software support Modbus connections that are widely used in industrial and power-plant networks by remote monitoring devices to communicate with master computers that run them in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks.
With this capability, the devices can apply their range of protections to these industrial networks. The devices feature firewalls, VPNs, Web filtering and network-access control. (See our Clear Choice Test of UTM firewalls.) The UTM-1 Edge appliances are designed for small and branch offices.
The new features are an upgrade to the NGX software platform on the appliances, and are also available on Check Point's Safe@Office small-business appliances.
Current customers can download the NGX 8.0 software from Check Point's User Center site.
