Sophos announced today the availability of its new integrated security solution for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The launch of the product coincides with research discovering that most small businesses are failing to adequately protect themselves from malicious attack.
Sophos Security Suite provides an all-in-one defense against threats on Windows and Mac computers, laptops and servers. The software has been designed specifically for smaller organisations that lack technical expertise to quickly and easily protect their businesses against today’s increasingly complex security risks.
In September 2006, Sophos questioned over 540 small businesses, and found that a staggering 64% were not updating their anti-virus software in a timely manner to protect against the latest malicious virus and other malware threats.
Sophos Security Suite combines protection against viruses, spyware, adware, spam and unauthorised intrusion – in one package that requires no technical expertise to install. It requires no user intervention to keep up-to-date as frequently as every ten minutes, and for the first time it integrates the benefits of an host intrusion prevention system (HIPS). Sophos’s HIPS technology, Behavioral Genotype Protection, examines computer programs before they run and identifies malicious patterns and characteristics to identify and block unknown malware. This combination of behavioral analysis and automatic updates ensures SME are networks safe and secure, even in the face of new and unknown threats.
The product also includes Sophos Client Firewall, which stops application hijacking and prevents intrusion by hiding desktops and remote computers from hackers, and is supported by Sophos’s technical support, which is available 24-hours a day, 365-days a year.
“Too many IT security products for smaller companies are simply re-packaged versions of an enterprise offering and still require technical expertise to install and run,” said Steve Munford, CEO of Sophos, in the press release. “Sophos’s small business solutions deliver the highest proactive protection with the lowest management burden.”
The new Sophos Control Center with its threat summary dashboard gives businesses an at-a-glance view of the security status. Its ability to centrally remove adware and other potentially unwanted applications, like remote administration tools and rogue diallers, enables non-technical users to quickly tackle any potential security concerns. Gateway and messaging protection from spam, viruses and spyware is delivered by Sophos PureMessage which scans all emails and Exchange message stores, protecting against new and unknown email-borne threats.
“We’ve been very pleased with Sophos Security Suite,” said Peter de Blanc, managing director and head technician at Compco Technologies, one of the beta testers of the new solution, in the press release. “We’ve been particularly impressed by its efficiency, which has meant we haven’t noticed any impact on our network resources, while the management console is also very easy to use, particularly when scheduling updates or scans.”
Sophos Security Suite is available now from Sophos’s network of channel partners, along with Sophos Computer Security SBE and Sophos Anti-Virus SBE which complete the Sophos small business solutions portfolio. They are all supported by Sophos’s unrivalled technical support, which is available 24-hours a day, 365-days a year.
More info here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Sophos: Apple Mac OS X’s security record unscathed; Windows Vista malware just a matter of time – July 07, 2006
Sophos Security: Dump Windows, Get a Mac – July 05, 2006
Security company Sophos: Apple Mac the best route for security for the masses – December 06, 2005
no Vira here! 6 iBooks and an eMac at work. The poor guy servicing the pcs is running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Maybe he should check it out. I’ll just chuck it out
Mmm…yawn.
What the hell? This is MAC daily news. Don;t give a f***ng s**t about windows viruses and anti-whatever.
Regardless of how you feel about endpoint security software for Mac OS X, this is a good sign of Mac OS X’s growth in the small through large enterprise market. (Endpoint security software is not optional for this market segment.)
It also points to IT departments loosening up their “Redmond Only” grip and allowing the Macintosh platform to be purchased and used by employees. (And not just the graphics department.)