CyberGuard Corp. says its new embedded Linux powered PCI-card firewall can protect PCs against security breaches originating on other PCs within a LAN environment. The $399 CyberGuard PCI635 card updates the $299 PCI630… from SnapGear, a company CyberGuard recently acquired. It supports Linux host systems, as well as Windows 2000, XP, and 2003 Server.

SnapGear's $299 PCI630 launched Mar. 18, 2003

The device runs SnapGear Embedded Linux, a secure Linux distribution with a “dynamic stateful firewall.” It provides intrusion detection based on Snort, and support for VPN protocols including PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling protocol) and IPSec (Internet Protocol Security).

The device is configured, managed, and monitored through a Web browser interface (which can be disabled, to prevent user tampering). It also supports SnapGear Central Management System (CMS) for single-point control and firewall updates on local or distributed networks.

CyberGuard claims that the PCI635 renders desktop systems based on Windows “highly immune” to Windows vulnerability exploits.

Sanjay Iyer, senior analyst at The Linley Group, said, “A distributed, hardware-based firewall complements perimeter firewalls, providing the best protection against attacks from within the enterprise and an excellent means to contain the spread of worms. The distributed security approach is going to become a required component of defense-in-depth practice for enterprises in an increasingly insecure world.”

“It's no longer enough to set up a firewall at the front of the network and trust everyone behind the firewall. The majority of real-world security problems occur on internal networks,” said Gregg Rosenberg, CEO of RICIS, a SnapGear by CyberGuard distributor.

 
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