Counterpane Unveils Security Services For SMBs

Managed service provider Counterpane Internet Security on Wednesday unveiled a suite of services designed specifically to help small and midsize businesses tackle security.

The package, dubbed Counterpane Enterprise Protection Suite for Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises, incorporates managed security monitoring and intrusion detection, among other functions.

According to Paul Stich, president and CEO of the Mountain View, Calif.-based vendor, the suite enables SMBs to save money on security by outsourcing it.

"By alleviating the IT security burden from small and midsized enterprises, we allow them to focus on other strategic areas of their business and leave security to industry experts," he said. "This offering is designed to give small and midsized customers a high level of protection while keeping in mind their limited resources."

The suite's security monitoring hinges on a realtime intrusion-detection appliance called Sentry. Resellers install this device at the perimeter of a customer's network, and it collects, sorts, correlates and analyzes data from that company's firewall, Stich said.

The suite also includes a Counterpane-branded intrusion-detection system (IDS), which Counterpane VARs manage and tune regularly to keep in working order. Customers can also sign up for access to weekly and monthly Web-based "CIO Reports" that issue recommendations to ensure best practices and provide insight on the latest security events.

Additional services include monthly internal or external managed vulnerability scanning, Stich said.

The Counterpane Enterprise Protection Suite for Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises is available now to members of Counterpane's channel program for a monthly fee of $2,795.