Microsoft To Launch Beta For ISA Server

On the hardware side, market researcher IDC predicts the security server appliance market will continue to grow this year, following whopping gains in 2003.

On the software side, CRN Test Center engineers recommend solution providers looking to enhance security should consider participating in the beta program for Microsoft's Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004.

The solution, which is targeted for release in the spring, will include an enterprise-class firewall, Web caching, application acceleration and security for VPN traffic.

Unveiled at Comdex Las Vegas 2003, the new release will build on the architecture of its predecessor, ISA Server 2000, to provide sophisticated, intelligent application layer filtering and an inspection firewall that protects networks against hackers, malicious code threats in e-mail, Instant Messaging exchanges or Internet content.

Microsoft, Redmond, Wash., claims that ISA's updated architecture has been specifically designed to combat the latest types of Internet attacks and worms with features such as signature scanning. With the threat of new viruses, Internet protection has become an easy sell as more companies try to endure the effects of infected files penetrating their networks.

The firewall will work as a stand-alone solution or in conjunction with an existing packet-filtering infrastructure. ISA Server 2004 application layer filtering and inspection mechanisms should provide an additional level of network security and protection.

Most notably, the server will include an array of tools and other features for enabling and securing VPN access to corporate networks.

However, the solution's value proposition is in application acceleration as well as security, both of which affect ROI. The software works as an accelerator improving network performance by storing frequently used Web content. The firewall and cache components can be deployed on a single server or separated to improve the performance and fault tolerance of those individual services.

The release will offer administrators a new easy-to-use GUI. Microsoft designed the simplified GUI with the hopes that the new user- friendly interface will prevent network administrators from misconfiguring the network firewall, a known adjuvant of security breaches.

Unlike previous versions, which were aimed largely at the enterprise market due to the nature of their business and deeper pockets, ISA Server 2004 is attempting to cater to a broader range of customers, including small to midsize businesses. According to reports, Microsoft is mostly targeting midsize businesses with this release because the software is capable of providing sufficient protection and performance for those businesses, while minimizing the need for dedicated IT management.

According to the company, with ISA Server 2004, customers do not have to spend time buying, deploying and managing disparate security and performance-enhancing solutions. That, plus the simplified GUI, may make it suitable for even smaller businesses.

Bottom line, ISA Server 2004 could be used to enhance network security, usage policy, Internet access and employee productivity for many organizations. Looking at the beta before the product hits the market would, at a minimum, prepare solution providers for the questions clients are likely to have about the product. It could also lead to the product's deployment if it's a good fit.

Even solution providers that believe no one solution can be all things to all customers should at least look at the beta. That provides an opportunity to learn the software's weaknesses so they can build better solutions of their own, with or without including ISA.