Check Point Announces New Web Security Tools

The company's Connectra Web security gateway integrates Web security protection with network connectivity and protects organizations against attacks that are introduced via Web applications accessed remotely.

A dedicated appliance designed for use in existing networks, Connectra provides SSL VPN remote-access capabilities with integrated server and end-point security. Available in June, the product is the latest component of the intelligent Perimeter, Internal and Web Security solutions strategy Check Point first unveiled in November.

Connectra's features include secure SSL VPN connectivity, integrated Web server security, adaptive end-point security from the recently acquired Zone Labs. and one-click remote SSL access. SSL Network Extender technology, available free with Connectra, provides secure remote access to Web and non-Web resources. Network Extender tunnels applications via a Web plug-in so client software does not have to be installed and configured on users' PCs and laptops.

Dean Ocampo, Check Point product marketing manager, says the new tools should appeal to resellers and customers of various types and sizes. "Connectra fits into the traditional VPN space in the enterprise or for SMBs, and Network Extender is designed for our installed base of customers who want to add remote users," he says. "It's a very cost-effective way to provide secure socket layer technology."

Connectra and its related tools are equipped with Web Intelligence, a Web application firewall technology that enables fully integrated application-level protection for Web servers and back-end systems and provides an additional layer of defenses for the network and its operating systems.

"Web intelligence is designed for customers who recognize that the Web is very important to their business but are worried about the increased security threats," Ocampo says.

Features include:

• Malicious Code Protector, patent-pending technology that catches buffer overflow attacks and other malicious code, enabling security protection by monitoring Web communications for potential malicious executable code;
• Advanced Streaming Inspection, which allows complex inspections and stream manipulation to be done in the kernel, improving throughput and connection rates; and
• simple deployment and management, which provides granular policy management with a flexible graphical user interface for quick deployment without complex tuning and configuration.
• Web Intelligence technology will ship later this month and will be offered as an add-on feature for Check Point's VPN-1 security client starting at $5,000. It will be offered as an integrated feature in Connectra, which will be priced starting at $10,000. The Check Point SSL Network Extender is available free with Connectra or as an add-on product to VPN-1 for prices starting at $2,300.