WatchGuard extends email and web gateway security features

WatchGuard Technologies has announced the latest operating system for its email and web-based security appliance, WatchGuard XCS Version 10. With new Microsoft Hyper-V® support, IPv6 support and outbound anti-spam capabilities, XCS 10 streamlines the implementation and management of content security strategies for small, medium and large enterprises.

“WatchGuard XCS delivers an effective defence-in-depth platform for email, web and data loss prevention. The latest upgrade to our operating system is designed to make deployment and management easier for IT security professionals, and deliver new functionality that can help meet today’s challenges around virtualisation and IPv6,” said Roger Klorese, director of product management at WatchGuard Technologies.

It delivers the industry's most effective defence-in-depth for email and web, including powerful data loss prevention. XCS provides protection from email and web-based threats including spam, viruses, compromised websites, blended threats, and network attacks.

Email and Web are two of the most commonly virtualised enterprise applications and the ability to protect them within the same cloud or virtualised environment gives IT organisations increased flexibility and business continuity. Organisations can now leverage the best-of-breed security features in XCS – such as anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-phishing, anti-malware, data loss protection, email encryption – and align content security policies across these virtualized platforms.

XCS also includes new IPv6 support. With the number of IPv6 devices growing and many areas of the world such as Asia, running out of, or running low on, IPv4 addresses, the move to IPv6 is underway. According to Gartner, Inc., 1 “As IPv6 adoption grows, security researchers and attackers will focus more on discovering IPv6 vulnerabilities. Strong vulnerability management processes will be critical to a successful IPv4 to IPv6 migration.” XCS allows organisations to apply the same rich security controls to their email when migrating to IPv6 or mixed-addressing environments.
Furthermore, with the proliferation of BYOD and guest network access, IT organizations can no longer count on attacks coming only from outside the business. To help combat this problem, WatchGuard XCS 10 now includes out-bound anti-spam controls to clean outbound email and help preserve corporate reputation.