WatchGuard adds web blocking to XCS range

Stephen Withers
Friday, 06 August 2010 16:06

Business IT - Security

Security vendor WatchGuard now offers enterprise-grade web blocking in its SME appliances.

Designed for SME to mid-market organisations, the WatchGuard XCS 170, 370 and 570 appliances deliver the company's web security service as well as e-mail protection, data loss prevention, and spam, virus, spyware and malware protection.

"Blended threats - attacks that use multiple sources, such as spam, viruses and malware-laden URLs - are becoming ubiquitous," said ANZ country manager Scott Robertson.

"Having a spam firewall is not enough. Today, businesses need comprehensive security appliances that can thwart a multitude of threats, including the most pernicious of all, web-based payloads, such as spyware, keyloggers and other forms of malware," he added.

The web security service includes a reputation-based component. URLs with bad reputations are blocked, those with no reputation are thoroughly scanned, and those with good reputations are accelerated through the appliance, WatchGuard officials explained, claiming that up to 50% of URL scanning can be avoided by this process without compromising security and therefore allowing greater throughput.

WatchGuard has reduced prices of the XCS 370, 570 and 770 by up to 20% (the XCS 770 now starts at $A7129), as well as trimming the cost of annual web security subscriptions for the XCS 770, 970 and 1170.