Version 8.3 Of Astaro Security Gateway Brings UTM To The Cloud

PRESS RELEASE

January 17 , 2011 (Burlington, MA) – Astaro – a Sophos Company and leading Unified Threat Management (UTM) provider, announced the availability of version 8.300 of the Astaro Security Gateway (ASG). With the ability to launch the Astaro Security Gateway in the Amazon Elastic Computing Cloud and connect to the Amazon VPC using local Astaro installation with the new VPC Connector, the new version considerably extends Astaro’s UTM capabilities into the cloud.

Astaro’s compatibility with Amazon’s VPC via official Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) allows users to easily run their own cloud UTM in minutes. Also new is a dedicated connector for Amazon’s Virtual Private Cloud. Amazon’s VPC service allows users to easily host and run server infrastructure in a secure, scalable cloud, and the new connector gives organizations a permanent connection to their VPC resources right from the Astaro Security Gateway.

“We've been using the Astaro Security Gateway for a number of years to serve as our edge connection to the Internet. Recently we needed a VPN connection to a large mobility provider that required BGP protocol to complete the connection,” explained Mark Kleine, network administrator, McCoy Tree Surgery. “Having this new feature in version 8.3 has allowed us to make a secure, redundant connection to our fleet of M2M equipped vehicles. The addition of BGP let us complete this project in short order, and provided the protocol exactly as the international provider requested.”

The introduction of BGP4 routing brings advanced routing capabilities for enterprises and carriers. Rounding out the full suite of routing tools already present in the Astaro Security Gateway, BGP4 allows the Astaro Security Gateway to support more deployment scenarios and handle complex routing environments of enterprise installations. The Astaro Security Gateway version 8.3 also includes support features for the new Sophos Access Point AP50, which will be released in January 2012.

Kleine continued: “During our first test and turn on maintenance window, the provider exclaimed ‘that's exactly what we're looking for’ when the connection was switched on. The setup features provided allowed us to adjust our setup to match their system on the first try. The routing redundancy worked flawlessly on during our first test. New features like BGP, and more, make it an easy choice to stay with Astaro.”

“As interest in running cloud solutions and applications becomes more prevalent we are seeing more request from our customers for solutions to secure cloud infrastructures,” said Robert Alfson, owner MediaSoft, Astaro Preferred Partner. “The new features in version 8.3 of the Astaro Security Gateway will allow us to meet our customers’ needs for cloud security solutions, giving us an advantage over resellers of other products.”

“Astaro and Sophos continue to invest in our flagship product, the Astaro Security Gateway,” said Jan Hichert, senior vice president & general manager, Network Security, Sophos. “The extension into the Amazon cloud environments through the Amazon EC2 and VPC are in response to our customers’ growing need for cloud security solutions and a reflection of how we are leading the industry in UTM development. Also coming in the next few months is version 9 of the Astaro Security Gateway which will further integrate Astaro and Sophos technologies.”

About Astaro

With over 60,000 installations worldwide, Astaro protects business, school, healthcare and government networks against IT security threats. Astaro combines the latest technologies in all-in-one solutions that are easy to deploy and manage. Distributed by a global network of certified partners, Astaro provides complete protection for headquarters, branch offices and data centers. Founded in 2000, Astaro, now a Sophos company, continues to be a leading vendor in the fast-growing market for Unified-Threat-Management. More information can be found at www.astaro.com