By Annalyn S. Jusay
If individuals like you and me can get our work bogged down by a simple virus attack on our home PCs, then what more vital businesses whose operations are always in danger of being stopped by hacks, worms, spam, spyware and other security-related threats?
These businesses are well-advised to invest in Virtual Private Network (VPN) appliances. These are server technologies typically built into a router and when combined with a firewall and other security options, they can provide branch offices, telecommuters and roaming users with more secure access to resources located on the company’s LAN.
Yet research shows that many businesses are still not defending themselves against omnipresent threats to IT security. This explains the widespread theft in personal records, credit card accounts and other private consumer data. A related survey by leading network security provider SonicWall of over 1000 IT administrators revealed that many small and mid-sized businesses “were frustrated with the lack of choices available for them to meet the increased demand for remote network access.” They would like a system which is affordable, secure and easy to use but unfortunately, solutions combining all three were limited.
As such, SonicWall has launched the SSL-VPN 2000, a remote network solution utilizing only a standard Web browser to enable users to easily and securely access email, files, intranets and other resources on the corporate LAN from any location.
Product line manager Jon Kuhn revealed that the SSL-VPN 2000’s main strength lies in the fact that it requires no pre-istalled client software. As such, clients are “freed from the tasks of deploying, configuring and updating software, reducing maintenance costs.”
He added that the SSL-VPN 2000 is ideal for small and mid-sized companies with 1,000 or fewer employees. “SSL-VPN’s new approach to pricing allows an unrestricted number of concurrent users for each device, unlike competitive solutions which charge substantial per-concurrent-tunnel license costs.”
Furthermore, the SSL-VPN 2000 integrates seamlessly into third-party firewalls and thus complements existing network infrastructure without the need to purchase additional hardware. “When deployed with a SonicWall internet security appliance running SonicWall Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Intrusion Prevention Service, the SSL-VPN 2000 enhances network integration and security. Deep packet inspection capabilities in the SonicWall gateway decontaminate mobile user connections to prevent vulnerabilities and malicious code from being introduced into the corporate network,” it was learned.
