What is UTM?
The Growing Importance of UTM
An ever-changing landscape of security threats has made Unified Threat Management (UTM) the fastest growing segment on the security appliance market. Coined by IDC, UTM refers to a security device that provides broad network protection by combining multiple security features firewalling, anti-virus, and intrusion detection and prevention on a single hardware platform. Industry analysts note that the rapid rise in blended threats Internet viruses that attack at the application layer-have greatly contributed to a need for the flexible, highly integrated functionality that UTM delivers.
The SonicWall UTM Solution
The SonicWall complete UTM solution provides intelligent, real-time network protection against sophisticated application-layer and content-based attacks. Comprising Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Intrusion Prevention Service, our solution flushes out both internal and external threats by addressing multiple threat access points and thoroughly scanning all network layers. Utilizing a high-performance, deep packet inspection engine, SonicWALL delivers threat protection directly on the security gateway by scanning against multiple application types and protocols and by matching files against an extensive signature database.
Deep Level of Protection
Many solutions utilize a firewall architecture known as stateful packet inspection, which works primarily at the network layer to determine whether data packets were requested and should be allowed onto the network. This approach permits selective but flexible access from outside the network and relatively unrestricted transmission from within. Given that many viruses originate from within an organization's e-mail service, it's clear that numerous threats will bypass the Stateful level of protection.
SonicWall employs a comprehensive method known as deep packet inspection (DPI), which matches downloaded, e-mailed, and compressed files against an extensive and continuously updated signature database. Our SonicALERT team and third party sources develop the database signatures, which scan in real time to detect and block packed executables and macro virus files.
With DPI technology, SonicWall can examine information at the application layer and defend against attacks targeting application vulnerabilities. Our DPI engine scans against multiple application types and protocols including SMTP, POP3, IMAP, FTP, HTTP, NetBIOS, dozens of other stream-based protocols, and over 50 application types for IDP. Our engine scans all network layers including Link, IP, TCP/UDP, Static Port, Dynamic Port, and Application-so your remote site gateway, internal network, file downloads, server, and desktop are all protected. As an added layer of security, SonicWall protects the application layer from internal as well as external threats.
Maximized Performance
Many UTM solutions require file caching and rebooting during the file scan and update processes, impeding the overall firewall performance. SonicWALL requires neither. In fact, SonicWall is unique in its ability to handle unlimited file sizes and virtually hundreds of thousands of concurrent downloads-providing ultimate scalability and performance for growing networks. And SonicWall eliminated the reboot requirement after signature update installations, so continuous protection doesn't interfere with your productivity.
SonicWall UTM provides basic reporting capabilities that let you continually monitor and improve the effectiveness of your network security. Real-time and historical reports give your administrators instant insight into network security status, helping them recognize suspicious activity, assess risks, understand employee behavior, and predict future bandwidth needs. More extensive reporting is available through SonicWall ViewPoint, which provides a 360º view of network events and activities.
The Leader in Network Security
SonicWall's compelling combination of innovative technology, high performance, cost-effectiveness, and reliability garnered us Grand Prize in the Network Security category at Interop Tokyo 2005-the premier forum for telecommunications and network technology. It's no surprise then that SonicWall's UTM solution has emerged as the worldwide leader in helping companies defend against network attacks, simplify administration through a single management interface, and lower the total cost of network security ownership.
