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The Aladdin eSafe Appliance is a hardened, Linux-based device, which can be configured as an email inspection tool (SMTP relay) and, additionally, as a full content-filtering gateway for HTTP/FTP. To obtain the full content-filtering gateway functionality you need to use Check Point Firewall-1 configured with a HTTP/FTP security server as a content vectoring protocol (CVP) client.

Based on a Toshiba Magnia SG20 solution developer kit, this unit runs a special version of Linux created by Astaro. It includes a firewall, VPN, DHCP server, traffic management and content filter. The latter includes web blocking and anti-spam.
The firewall uses stateful packet inspection and includes proxies for HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, POP3, DNS, IDENT and SOCKS. It has user authentication and offers protection from the most common forms of DoS attacks. Of course, it provides network address translation. In addition it detects port scanning.

This is an enterprise recovery solution that provides centralized control for a fast backup and restore that is controlled by the administrator. Recovery Manager provides a system that also allows a full restore for any computer that has been unable to reboot. It does this by storing all registry and system files for each protected workstation, allowing a full recovery on any machine covered by Recovery Manager.

This is a solution designed for the SME market. (We reviewed version 6, but 6.5 is now available.) Instead of simply making incremental backups Retrospect Backup uses backup sets to ensure all data can be recovered. Whereas many solutions only copy the new or changed part of a file, Retrospect keeps a set of all changed data so that if you later find that the version you have been working on has errors in it you can call back the 'best' version. Saved to your hard drive as well as to the server, a user can quickly call up and restore the version that they need to refer back to.

Symantec Ghost Enterprise Edition is an disk imaging solution. It does, however, allow incremental backup of all your client computers' data, providing the ability to restore any networked computer that has crashed. This includes restoration of the operating system and settings, all applications that it was running and all data files.

This solution also delivers backup and restore and, unlike the previous solution, is designed with the smaller workgroup environment in mind. With the initial installation setting up a server, it also provides a centralized repository. In addition Lockstep advise an optional mirror backup off-site to ensure a complete recovery is possible of all corporate data.

This is one for the serious business with a need for high availability and disaster recovery in its overall plan. The capability not only to replicate files but also only the part that has changed, is just one of Double-Take's virtues.

Easy Recovery Lite is just one of Ontrack's solutions for recovering data. This solution does not repair lost or corrupt computer hardware settings, nor does it repair registry and configuration settings, but it does concentrate on data recovery. With an emergency boot disk to hand, even when you cannot access Windows, files can be extracted.

This next solution is ideal for publishers and media houses that rely on Macintosh computers for their production activities. Intego Personal Backup X allows the user to back up their critical files, clone volumes and synchronize files between two volumes.

This solution provides remote installation, backup and restore capabilities from a central console. Altiris Client Recovery Solution ensures that users can be back at work swiftly should they experience a system crash or virus damage. It requires 30Mb of hard disk space and a minimum of 150MHz processor power on the client side, with server requirements stretching to 350MHz processor, 100Gb hard disk, 128Mb RAM, Microsoft SQL 7.0 and IE 5.0 all running on Windows 2000 Server.

McAfee is well known for anti-virus software, and has built its complete anti-virus engine into an internet gateway product that examines HTTP, FTP, SMTP and POP3 traffic for viruses. It also performs content filtering and acts as an email anti-relay. Within the content filtering mechanism anti-spam functionality is included.

Primarily a content-filtering platform, the Minesweeper CF 500 came with optional extras for intrusion detection and vulnerability assessment. Content filtering comprises URL blocking, anti-virus and anti-spam. Standard features include a firewall with an IPsec VPN and a DHCP server.

SonicWALL is well known for its firewalls, but it is now starting to add optional functionality to the range. The model tested came with the extra-cost items of content filtering and anti-virus. Vulnerability assessment is another optional extra, but was not supplied on the review unit.

The Symantec Gateway Security product combines firewall, content filtering and intrusion detection in one rack-mounted system that is 1U high. The content filtering includes anti-virus and anti-spam, plus the blocking of inappropriate content and non work-related surfing. The firewall has all the usual features you would expect from a modern firewall: stateful inspection, packet filtering, NAT, IPsec VPN and full inspection application proxies.

CyberGuard has a long and impressive track record in the firewall market, providing solutions from the desktop to those suitable for the high end, such as data centers. The SL2000 is positioned at the high end and, while certainly not the cheapest firewall in this Group Test, is worth every penny.

In this review we are not so concerned with remote access as such, but more with the security and ease of use for the teleworker; a growing breed of employee. But this still means a high level of control and security.

Putting a firewall in the home office should be a natural thing to do. After all, you are not only protecting your user but also the data that they will be working on, and probably holding, on their machine. This security is just as important as the security in the main office, as liability on data and business-critical information could otherwise be breached with ease. This is where a small but powerful appliance from a developer with experience in both the enterprise and SOHO markets is going to come in very handy.

Old hand BorderWare has decided to focus on one particular area of network security - email. Whereas most companies are happy enough to bundle email in with the rest of its internet traffic and allow the firewall to handle all of it, BorderWare's MXtreme MX-200 appliance specifically focuses on the problems of email traffic.

SonicWALL is another well-known name in the firewall arena, offering a range of products suitable for anything from the home user to the high-end of the market.

Stonesoft produced its own firewall a few years ago and has shown that it really understands the high end of the market.