Astaro updates Linux-based network security

Computerworld - New features, including bandwidth monitoring, increased spam protection and improved network management integration, have been added to Astaro Corp.'s Security Linux 5.1 operating system.
In an announcement last week, the Burlington, Mass.-based vendor said the features are being incorporated into the new Version 5.1 release of its flagship secure operating system. Astaro Security Linux includes a firewall, virtual private network gateway, antivirus software, intrusion protection, spam filtering and content filtering built into the operating system, making it easier for IT administrators to install, maintain and configure their IT systems, the company said.
The Astaro operating system allows IT administrators to secure their network with an all-in-one product on a server set up for security purposes, while running whatever other operating systems they want to provide for their users and servers. Astaro Security Linux will protect users who are running Microsoft Windows XP, Unix or other systems, the company said.
"The variety and sheer numbers of threats to corporate computer networks change by the hour and IT managers are looking for a powerful, cost-effective solution that meets this ever-shifting landscape head-on," Jan Hichert, Astaro's CEO, said in a statement.
Among the new antispam features in Version 5.1 are Sender Policy Framework record checking, greylisting (a form of spam filtering), reverse path signing to deal with bounced and disguised e-mails, quarantined e-mail user lists and the use of additional public spam databases such as Razor 2, DCC and SURBL. The antispam features can be enabled or disabled from the Astaro Security Linux WebAdmin interface.
The new Astaro version also supports the use of SNMP to communicate system information such as antivirus and network outages in real time to network management systems including Hewlett-Packard Co.'s OpenView, Computer Associates International Inc.'s Unicenter and IBM's Tivoli.
The new bandwidth-monitoring features alert IT administrators when bandwidth limits are exceeded and allows them to respond quickly to unexpected changes.
Astaro Security Linux uses a browser-based interface for configuration and administration tasks.
Users of Astaro Security Linux include Blue Cross Blue Shield, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Stanford University and Watsco Inc.