Check Point Readies Security Devices For SMBs

Safe@Office 500 and 500W Unified Threat Management security appliances are complete intrusion prevention and content filtering applications with firewall virtual private network and gateway anti-virus software.

Safe@Office 500 is based on the new Check Point Embedded NGX 6.0, the latest security software platform. It was adapted by SofaWare Technologies to fit embedded devices. The new devices are based on Check Point's enterprise-class VPN-1/Firewall-1 and Application Intelligence software, and it supports the company's Secure Remote desktop client, which is downloadable from the device.

The Safe@Office 500W includes an integrated IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi access point. The appliances are designed for installation at a small business location, with management by employees in the office, reseller, or service provider, said Liran Eshel, chief executive officer of SofaWare. The Ramat Gan, Israel, company is majority owned by Check Point and focuses on small business customers.

Check Point includes support for a separate hot spot security zone in the 500W appliance so it can be used in a retail setting, for example, where the storeowners want to offer customers Internet access but keep that traffic segregated from business traffic. The zone can be used for visitors at corporate sites, as well. The device supports WiFi protected access (WPA) 2 security. The services are also being offered as a hosted model.

Gartner estimates that 40 percent of small and medium businesses that manage their own security and use the Internet for more than e-mail will have at least one network intrusion by the end of 2005. The research firm said more than half of the businesses attacked will not know hackers have infiltrated the network.