Astaro Channels Security Linux

Astaro Security Linux combines open-source security components with proprietary technologies to provide firewall, VPN, antivirus and spam protection, as well as URL content filtering, said Steve Schlesinger, managing director of the three-year-old company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, with U.S. headquarters in Burlington, Mass.

"We built an enabling platform that makes all these pieces work together, and put them on top of a hardened Linux operating system," he said.

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Astaro partners with Toshiba, which bundles Security Linux on its Magnia appliance.

Open-source components Astaro uses include the netfilter firewalling subsystem for Linux, Super FreeS/WAN for IPSec and SpamAssassin. The software also incorporates proprietary antivirus technology from Kaspersky Labs and is managed by Astaro's proprietary user interface.

Because thousands of developers are using them, open-source technologies provide on-

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going quality assurance and higher security, Schlesinger said.

Astaro partners with OEMs such as Toshiba that bundle the software on hardware appliances. The Astaro Solutions Partner Program has three tiers, based on sales volume: Authorized, Preferred and Premier. Discounts range from 20 percent for Authorized Partners to 40 percent for Premier Partners. Support increases with level of partnership.

All partners must have at least one Astaro Certified Engineer on staff. Web-based training costs $650 to $995.

Richard Burman, director of sales and security at Cinagen, a solution provider based in Norcross, Ga., said Astaro's software provides high-performance security suitable for mission-critical environments.

Astaro's cost-effective licensing structure allows his firm to be a "quasi-managed service provider," Burman said. "We're not only providing customers with the firewall solution, but we're also providing our penetration testing and intrusion detection."

Pricing for Astaro Security Linux starts at $390 and goes up to $15,000 depending on added capabilities and number of users.