Appliance Deployment Featured Article

Helsinki, Finland-based Stonesoft recently unveiled a new network security solution aimed at responding to the unique needs of branch offices, remote workers and unattended locations. The solution can help multi-location businesses save money and increase the rate of appliance deployment by utilizing both physical and cloud-based platforms.

The StoneGate Mass Security solution version 5.3 enables the deployment, tuning and upkeep of network security for organizations that are spread out across the globe. The chief benefits of the new version of the solution are its simplicity and intuitive installation and management processes, making it ideal for satellite offices with limited IT resources, according to Stonesoft.

"One of the biggest challenges in security has always been the need for personnel resources," Antti Kuvaja, Director of Product Management at Stonesoft Corporation, noted in a statement. "The installation and configuration of security systems requires expertise and time, and there is always the risk of human error."

"We wanted to solve these challenges and offer a cost-efficient, easy-to-use solution that can be rapidly deployed at even unattended locations and does not require any technical competence," he added.

The new StoneGate Mass Security solution enables plug & play installation and the ability to define the initial policy for firewalls as part of the primary configuration process. In addition, it includes firewall element creation wizard and a high level of scalability.

Furthermore, no synchronization is needed between the headquarters administrator and the remote office. A non-technical employee can simply plug in the firewall appliance without any worry.

The installation process is intuitive and involves very little work on the part of the remote office. The network security administrator will begin by creating elements of remote firewalls and sending the initial configuration to the installation cloud, where it will be stored until receiving contact from the appliance. 

Once the appliance is plugged in by the remote office, it will automatically reach out to the installation cloud to undergo the initial configuration process. After receiving the configuration from the cloud, the appliance will contact the centralized management server for its predefined security policy.

In addition to the intuitive installation process, version 5.3 of the solution also enables straightforward tuning and upkeep through unified policy management as well as automatic updates and upgrades, says the company. Like other appliance deployments, the StoneGate Mass Security solution can provide flexibility, scalability and cost savings.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jamie Epstein