Perimeter security is still an essential part of a layered approach to network protection. But firewalls alone are not enough. Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are much more effective than traditional firewalls but still lack important features that are critical to detecting the latest threats. The fact is, there is no security service that can singlehandedly protect today’s complex IT environments.
Unified threat management (UTM) is a security appliance that integrates, or unifies, multiple security solutions, services and features. UTM includes NGFW features such as stateful firewall inspection, intrusion detection and prevention, VPN, and URL filtering, but also adds capabilities such as email protection, application control, Quality of Service, and web-security gateway functionality. Because these services are managed through a single appliance, UTM can dramatically reduce management overhead and simplify your network.
Security services are constantly evolving, so it’s important to look for a UTM vendor that adds advanced capabilities that can better protect your network. Of course, not all UTM devices are equally effective. Choose one that has been independently tested so you know how well your organization will be protected.
Also, find out how easy the vendor’s solution is to use. Can all services be controlled from the same console? Is it easy to deploy, manage and maintain? If you have geographically dispersed branch locations, does the UTM system enable remote access from any site? Will this require IT staffing or expertise at each location?
Valuable features to look for include:
- Spyware Protection. This will prevent malicious software from being installed on user devices and stealing passwords and other sensitive data.
- HTTPS Scanning. More and more hackers are using encryption to hide their threats, so it’s important to be able to inspect encrypted traffic.
- Advanced Reporting. Administrators should have the flexibility to build and schedule reports that show both real-time and historical usage.
- Site-to-Site VPN. This allows remote branches to securely exchange information and use file servers and other devices that are in a different location.
- Web Protection. In addition to web filtering, the UTM solution should be able to apply policies to users’ online activity and prevent malware from entering your network.
- Advanced Email Protection. More than filtering out spam and malware, UTM should be capable of blocking malicious content at the gateway, encrypting email, and providing users with a certain level of control over email quarantine and message activity.
WatchGuard’s Basic Security Suite includes traditional UTM services, such as intrusion prevention, gateway antivirus, URL filtering and spam blocking. It also features WatchGuard Reputation Enabled Defense, a cloud-based service that aggregates threat data from multiple sources to protect users from malicious web pages while reducing web-processing overhead.
WatchGuard’s Total Security Suite adds artificial intelligence-powered malware discovery, cloud sandboxing for advanced persistent threats, data loss protection and DNSWatch. DNSWatch detects malicious DNS requests, blocks those websites, and alerts users to the risk by redirecting them to a safe page instead.
Verteks is a WatchGuard Gold Partner with the expertise and certifications required to help you successfully implement WatchGuard UTM solutions. Let us show you how UTM builds on firewall defenses to protect your organization against modern threats.
