Review: ipANGEL

This device features real-time vulnerability discovery on the network and can tune and adapt its policies for the best protection. As it learns more about the network, it customises its defences for the environment.

After reading the documentation it takes just a few quick configuration steps and the IPS is ready to go. We found the web interface slightly difficult to navigate at first, but it became more intuitive with practice.

This device prevented most scanner attacks against our target network and provided easy-to-read, real-time logs on network activity. However, we could bypass the IPS when we tested with Core Impact, but we note that the product is aimed at datacentre markets and has limited client signatures.

The documentation is clear and makes setting up and configuring the product an absolute breeze. We thought the manuals were well-organised and specific.

The only thing we would have liked to see was a guide to the web interface and how to use it, because the interface was a little confusing and we had to learn how to use it best through trial and error.

We found support for this product to be average. There is a support helpdesk, which is available by phone, and email support is also offered. There is also the option to register with Lucid and get many other support features, but we could not discover whether there was an extra fee or cost for more support. This lack of information we regarded as counterproductive for the user.

With prices from around £1,450 for ipANGEL 10 (10 Mbps throughput) to £85,000 or so for ipANGEL 2000 (2.5 Gbps throughput) there is one for every size of network and price range.

Unlike most devices in this category, Lucid has developed products designed for the specific needs of an environment.

For: Cost-effective and easy to deploy and manage.
Against: Steep learning curve at first with the web interface. Shows logs, but does not have any graphs or charts on network traffic or attacks.
Verdict: Good real-time protection with solutions for any size of network.