Trend Micro Launches New Cloud-Based Endpoint Security
Specifically, Trend Micro executives say that OfficeScan and the new Endpoint Security Platform, powered by Trend Micro's Threat Protection Network, are designed to address increasingly sophisticated security threats that evade traditional endpoint security approaches. According to a 2009 Osterman Research study, researchers discovered 1,500 unique malware variants every hour. The report said two-thirds of endpoint devices will likely become infected by malware this year. And in light of the declining economy, security threats are anticipated to increase even more, executives said.
"Two-thirds of all endpoint solutions get infected by malware each year. So the existing endpoint solutions aren't doing the job," said Dan Glessner, Trend Micro vice president of enterprise marketing and customer insight. "The volume of malware is going through the roof. And part of it is because of the economy. You have a lot of smart technical people unemployed."
Designed to address increasingly complex security challenges, the new OfficeScan Client Server Suite, available in May, targets midsize to large enterprise companies with up to 10,000 users, and includes protection for an array of endpoints such as desktops, laptops, servers, smartphones and storage devices. The suite incorporates the Trend Micro Control Manager for centralized management and reporting, while touting a plug-in architecture that allows customers to tailor the product according to their own security policies.
Meanwhile, the new Endpoint Security Platform relies on cloud-based Web, e-mail and file reputation databases to support large and geographically dispersed enterprise users on one management server. The platform, which can scale to up to 250,000 employees, aims to alleviate deployment challenges and reduce management complexity, cost and risk. Three Endpoint Security Platforms and three modules -- Web Protection, Core Protection and Patch Management -- are currently available, while a Data Leak Prevention Module will be available in June.
Executives say that one of the biggest differentiators for both launches is the incorporation of enhanced Web reputation technology, which prevents users from accessing Web sites containing malicious code, and file reputation filtering technologies -- as opposed to signature files -- designed to alert users in realtime regarding a file's safety before they open it.
Specifically, executives said that the file reputation technology closes the security gap and addresses challenges with traditional signature file updates that are often time-consuming and consistently tax bandwidth and memory. Meanwhile, partners contend that Trend Micro's file reputation technology addresses the growing challenge of keeping security current for remote or mobile workers by providing them the same access to realtime protection when they're off the network.
"A lot of our clients are very dispersed. A lot of people are working from home and a lot of people aren't employees. Being able to push security policies to those kinds of people is always a challenge," said Dave Casey, president of Westron Communications, based in Carrollton, Texas. "With this file reputation product, that concept makes it much easier to keep everything up to date."
Partners also add that as the economy worsens, customers will likely continue to gravitate toward hosted and cloud-based services that consolidate multiple functions in one offering. Wes Parker, director of the performance management group for Charlotte, N.C.-based Stalwart Systems, said that Trend Micro is at least two years ahead of the curve with its cloud-based offerings.
"We're very excited about it. It's the way things are going," Parker said. "What we have seen are issues with deployment, patches, frequency, the need to test -- a lot of those problems go away with this new approach. I think it's definitely the future."