Featured in This Roundup:
- Astaro Security Gateway 220 User Manual Software
- Astaro Security Gateway 220
- Astaro Security Appliance
- Astaro Security Gateway 220 User Manual Pdf
Astaro Security Gateway 220
Pros: Easy to deploy and manage. Includes all critical security services. Excellent reporting. Scalable.
Cons: Multiple network services—single point of failure.
Bottom Line: The Astaro Security Gateway 220 is a well-rounded and easy-to-manage appliance that should definitely be considered if you're in the market for a multifunction gateway security solution.
Read ReviewFortinet FortiGate 200A
Pros: Highly configurable. Easy deployment. Modular product line.
Cons: No integrated spam quarantine.
Bottom Line: The Fortinet Fortigate 200A is an impressive security appliance. And, while the unit offers security services that are on par with those from Servgate and Astaro, we had hoped for integrated spam quarantine.
Read ReviewServGate EdgeForce
Pros: Offers comprehensive security. Good user interface. Easy deployment.
Cons: Logging and reporting too limited.
Bottom Line: The Servgate Edgeforce is a solid unified threat management appliance that will serve most companies needs. It is very easy to deploy and manage and includes all critical security services. We only wish it had more extensive logging and reporting features.
Read ReviewSonicWall PRO 2040
Pros: Powerful. Zones offer a convenient way to manage security. Very good control over NAT policies.
Cons: May intimidate some users.
Bottom Line: If you support more complex networks, the SonicWall PRO 2040 may be up your alley.
Read Review
Discuss: Astaro Security Gateway 320 - security appliance Series Sign in to comment. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage. The Astaro Security Gateway 220 is designed to provide complete protection for mid-sized businesses and offices with up to 150 users. Its flexibility and excellent price-performance make this appliance a perfect choice for organizations seeking complete, cost-effective perimeter security.
Contents
- One-Stop Security
Just about everyone knows that security should be one of the top concerns for a company. Yet many small and medium-size businesses (SMBs)—particularly those that are strapped for cash—still approach security as an afterthought.
This continues to surprise us, because there's a simple answer for these businesses, one that costs under $5,000 and requires little expertise or maintenance—security appliances.
There are various types of security appliances, but the ones we're talking about are called Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliances. They combine four key technologies in one box: a firewall, antivirus and antispam protection, and either intrusion detection or prevention. Many include antispyware protection, content filtering, and VPN capability as well. These appliances give businesses control over their assets without much of a hassle, and they take security to a level far beyond what a standard firewall can do.
These handy appliances are catching on; their sales grew 60 percent during 2004, and they now make up 12 percent of the overall security appliance market, according to IDC. Still, significant numbers of SMBs either outsource their security services or use separate solutions for each individual type of threat.
Greg Young, research vice president of network security for Gartner, believes it's only a matter of time before more businesses drop their traditional firewalls in favor of security appliances. They're just waiting for those firewalls to reach the end of their useful life, he says.
'The timing of refresh cycles for incumbent hardware is the biggest barrier to deployment right now for these appliances,' Young says. 'The typical refresh cycle for a firewall is three to five years. If you bought one in the last two years, it's hard to go back to the boss and say you need something else.'
Astaro Security Gateway 220 User Manual Software
Typical all-in-one security devices cost between $2,500 and $5,000, and it is easy for qualified consultants, VAR workers, or full-time IT staff to set them up. The appliances can be conveniently configured to update themselves automatically, cutting down on management costs. And because all the services are packaged into one product, businesses can go to one manufacturer for customer support, instead of having to keep track of four.
Any company that chooses to go with an all-in-one security appliance should make sure its equipment is properly configured to match its infrastructure's needs. Only this will guarantee that the appliance will adequately keep the network secure. Also, any security solution should be accompanied by a clear set of company security policies. The SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Institute is a great resource for getting started creating policies (www.sans.org/resources/policies).
UTM appliances aren't a fit for every SMB. Some choose security solutions à la carte because they want more control over which firewall, antivirus, antispam, and intrusion detection or prevention solution they use, instead of having the appliance manufacturer do the choosing for them. But many of the devices include best-of-breed services from the top manufacturers.
Other businesses may avoid appliances because they worry about having a single point of failure. Many of these devices, however, provide automatic failover to a secondary unit. And companies that can't afford two devices can work with their VAR or the manufacturer to ensure that they have next-day replacement service on their appliance.
Still other businesses, which don't want any responsibility in managing their own networks, choose to outsource their security completely. More and more offerings are becoming available for these businesses, Young says. Providers such as AT&T and Vigilant Minds are catering 'in the cloud' outsourcing for SMBs. Those security services are run on the premises of the provider, so there's no on-site equipment for the business to monitor. (For more on outsourcing, go to http://go.pcmag.com/securityappliances.)
Following are reviews of four UTM security appliances designed for businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
Astaro Security Gateway 220
Contributors //Oliver Kaven is a lead analyst at PC Magazine Labs. Executive editor Stephanie Chang was in charge of this story.
Astaro Security Appliance
Featured in This Roundup:
Astaro Security Gateway 220 User Manual Pdf
Astaro Security Gateway 220
Pros: Easy to deploy and manage. Includes all critical security services. Excellent reporting. Scalable.
Cons: Multiple network services—single point of failure.
Bottom Line: The Astaro Security Gateway 220 is a well-rounded and easy-to-manage appliance that should definitely be considered if you're in the market for a multifunction gateway security solution.
Read ReviewFortinet FortiGate 200A
Pros: Highly configurable. Easy deployment. Modular product line.
Cons: No integrated spam quarantine.
Bottom Line: The Fortinet Fortigate 200A is an impressive security appliance. And, while the unit offers security services that are on par with those from Servgate and Astaro, we had hoped for integrated spam quarantine.
Read ReviewServGate EdgeForce
Pros: Offers comprehensive security. Good user interface. Easy deployment.
Cons: Logging and reporting too limited.
Bottom Line: The Servgate Edgeforce is a solid unified threat management appliance that will serve most companies needs. It is very easy to deploy and manage and includes all critical security services. We only wish it had more extensive logging and reporting features.
Read ReviewSonicWall PRO 2040
Pros: Powerful. Zones offer a convenient way to manage security. Very good control over NAT policies.
Cons: May intimidate some users.
Bottom Line: If you support more complex networks, the SonicWall PRO 2040 may be up your alley.
Read Review