Web filtering technology with next-generation firewall capabilities

Barracuda Networks announced the integration of the Barracuda NG Firewall and Barracuda Web Security Flex. This solution combines cloud-based Web filtering technology with next-generation firewall capabilities, providing protection both on- and off-network, while offloading intensive security and reporting functions to the cloud.

It allows enterprises to regain control of today’s dynamic networks-protecting a myriad of users with disparate devices, accessing applications and network resources, both on- and off-network. By moving Web filtering to the cloud, organizations are able to:

Simplify capacity planning – Organizations are not so rigidly bound to the compute cycles available on the on-premises firewall as the cloud will automatically scale-up or scale-down depending on the number of users or sessions that need to be filtered without impacting on-premises infrastructure.

Maximize security across all locations – Organizations can right-size their on-premises firewalls while still providing advanced malware scanning, content filtering and centralized reporting to branch office locations.

Extend Web security to off-network machines – The Barracuda Web Security Agent is now available to Barracuda NG Firewall customers, extending Web filtering to remote off-network machines. Barracuda Networks is the first and only next-generation firewall vendor to provide comprehensive Web security and policy enforcement to remote users, regardless of location or device.

Centralize policy management – Barracuda Web Security Flex provides a simple cloud-based policy management interface that is seamlessly integrated with the Barracuda NG Control Center. This provides centralized management of firewall rules and Web usage policies across multiple locations.

“While the historical firewall market has emphasized the box and its associated network accelerators, coprocessors or ASICs, the reality is that needs continue to evolve,” said Steve Pao, vice president of product management for Barracuda Networks. “For example, a key challenge with today’s solutions is that network accelerators do not improve reporting performance. With our unique approach of using lightweight on-premises hardware for core network security functions and the cloud for more resource intensive content security functions, we can apply the most up-to-date security countermeasures against the latest threats, while minimising the hardware footprint and upgrade cycles required to provide that protection.”