Nokia Strengthens SSL VPN With Upgraded Security

Nokia's new Secure Access System (SAS) 3.0 boasts Secure Connector, a feature that provides network-level access from a user's remote device back to the corporate IT infrastructure.

With this feature, solution providers can deliver comprehensive access to business applications and data, as well as network services, said Elie Habib, senior vice president of security and mobile connectivity at Nokia Enterprise Solutions, Mountain View, Calif.

Secure Connector provides enhanced application support, realtime antivirus monitoring and splittunneling control, which enables IT administrators to extend the network while minimizing the risk of malware. The new technology also includes encrypted data-storage capabilities.

Stephen Raymond, security sales engineer at Integralis, a solution provider in East Hartford, Conn., plans to incorporate Nokia SAS 3.0 into a pre-existing managed security service package.

"With this solution, Nokia is offering us a full package of mobility, SSL and a fat-pipe VPN," Raymond said. "IT administrators can use it to control access throughout the network and make sure connections can be secure."

SAS 3.0 also boasts Secure Workspace, a clientless feature that creates a separate work environment on remote-access devices to safeguard data created in a secure session, as well as a configuration replication feature that allows administrators to define a managed group of gateways and synchronize changes.

The solution is available now as a free upgrade for existing Nokia SAS customers; otherwise, pricing starts at $4,995 for 25 seats.