Computer security giant McAfee has upgraded its enterprise firewall products for the business sector.

A new generation of capabilities will help customers increase network security, and lower their compliance and operational costs, in both physical and virtual network environments.

Known as McAfee Firewall Enterprise (formerly Sidewinder), McAfee Firewall Enterprise Control Center and McAfee Firewall Enterprise Profiler, the products can be run alongside McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator software. And it can also be used with McAfee global threat intelligence.

McAfee Firewall Enterprise currently protects more than 15,000 customers worldwide. These include governments, top companies and leading financial institutions.

Dan Ryan, executive vice president and general manager of the Network Security business unit at McAfee, said: “Last generation firewalls are simply too hard and expensive to manage, and in reality, don’t effectively enforce relevant business policies. Mobile users, modern web-based applications and ever more sophisticated cyber criminals have combined with the economic environment to create the perfect storm. With this release, we’re delivering next generation firewall capabilities that improve network security while lowering compliance and operational costs in both physical and virtual network security environments.”

Firewall advancements include management capabilities hybrid delivery options and integrated layers of threat protection. When added with McAfee Firewall Profile, McAfee Firewall Enterprise is application and identity aware.

Particular noteworthy is that McAfee Firewall Enterprise uses global reputation-based technology, the first and only one to do so.

McAfee Firewall Profiler employs very sophisticated technology to analyse how firewall rules changes when viewed against application availability, usage and security.

The McAfee Control Center and Firewall Reporter have been revised, allowing more accurate audit and compliance reports.

Such sophisticated technology doesn’t come cheap and much depends on the exact specification. McAfee Firewall Enterprise appliances start at $4,900. The McAfee Firewall Enterprise Virtual Appliance starts at $4900 per VMWare ESX instance. McAfee Firewall Profiler appliance starts at $19,500 and Firewall Enterprise Control Center starts at $6,900.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

You think you’ve got problems with computer security.

The Sunday Times has just reported that intelligent chiefs have warned that China will soon have the ability to cripple the U.K.’s telecoms and utilities.

Now, some might argue that telecoms are already knackered in this country, but its been revealed that a Chinese company was awarded a contract in 2005 to install equipment for BT’s new £10 billion network which will, at long last, update the U.K.’s dilapidated internet grid.

And James Bond and Co are worried that in the future, some sinister Chinese general will flip a switch and the U.K telecoms network will crash. And worse than not being able to order your favourite pizza, is that the security services and the military, who will all use the new BT network, will be silenced.

And ironically, although BT has taken steps to properly protect its system against cyber criminals, it might have allowed a doomsday digital Trojan Horse, courtesy of China, into the heart of its software.

Okay, that’s pretty far fetched you might say and more suited to a block-buster spy novel. But are these fears based on fact, or an over-ripe imagination? It appears they’ve surfaced because the Chinese company in question has been largely funded by the Chinese state and that its chief was a former member of the People’s Liberation Army.

Fair enough, but then you read that our own homegrown eggheads, Marconi, did not win the business because they were too expensive. And when questioned about the matter, British Government ministers say they can’t now throw out the Chinese work because not only would it be prohibitively expensive to replace, but it might also contravene competition rules.

Only the Brits would take fair play that far. Okay, its unlikely that the Chinese would have placed a Trojan Horse in the new system (although recent stories suggest that the Chinese Government is not beyond a bit of cyber-crime), but why on earth didn’t ministers claim it was a matter of defence and insist the contract went Marconi’s way; just to be on the safe side?

Afterall, across the pond, the Pentagon blocked a merger between the Chinese company in question and a U.S. defence contractor. They didn’t like the Chinese company’s connections to the Chinese state and so put a stop to it. Not for them the niceties of budgets and competition rules.

Why do we have to still stick to Marquis of Queensbury’s rules?

Guest Article by Neil Camp