F-Secure VPN features new graphical Network Editor for VPN configuration and maintenance

F-Secure VPN features new graphical Network Editor for VPN configuration and maintenance

HELSINKI, FINLAND - Data Fellows, a leader in computer security, announced today a new version of their award winning F-Secure VPN product, a 128 bit encrypting router that lets companies secure all traffic between their Local Area Networks and set up Virtual Private Networks using the Internet or other insecure networks.

The new graphical Network Editor supports the design of a complete Virtual Private Network. With Network Editor the network administrator is allowed to define three different policies to be used between the VPN devices.

  • An extranet route policy can be defined for a connection from a VPN node that does not belong to the corporate network, but originates from a business partner.
  • A default route policy can be issued for connections from a branch office that want all traffic routed to a specific default gateway e.g. for Internet access.
  • A prohibited route policy can be used to instruct the routing table generation algorithm to avoid certain connections, such as those that would route packets through slow links.
F­Secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a flexible and cost-effective way to gain the benefits of the Internet without compromising security. It provides the network manager with secure tunnels between corporate sites while still enabling access to external sites. It is at its best when combined with a firewall, giving total control over all corporate data traffic. "Putting the Internet to use in business and in partner co-operation attracts the interest of a growing number of companies. The question of information privacy is the first concern" said Mr. Jussi Partanen, Marketing Manager of Nexor System Service, the first Finnish customer to implement F-Secure VPN in their production network. "F-Secure VPN is inexpensive, the easiest-to-use and quick solution to the question of privacy" he continued.

F­Secure VPN is an encrypting router that enables you to build VPNs over the net with strong cryptographic security. If you're a corporate network manager, it helps you cut your line costs significantly without compromising security. If you're a Service Provider it gives you the opportunity to beat your competition with new services by using bullet-proof security features. F-Secure VPN is available globally with long keys and top security.

F-Secure VPN won the Data Communications Magazine Hot Product for 1997 Award in February this year.

F-Secure VPN architecture

F-Secure encrypts TCP/IP packets on the fly for transport over the Internet or an intranet. It works with any installed base of routers and firewalls. It also provides the most powerful encryption available, including RSA, triple DES (Data Encryption Standard) and Blowfish. Further, F-Secure compresses data, authenticates other encryption servers, and performs distributed key management.

F-Secure VPN uses a protocol called SSH that has emerged as a de facto standard for secure Internet communications. The protocol has been used, tested and proven reliable by such security-conscious organizations as NASA (Washington, D.C.), and several U.S. banks and telecommunication companies. The standards being developed by the IP Security Group (IPSec) of the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) will also be implemented as they become approved later this year.

F-Secure benefits vs. Traditional encryption mechanisms

F-Secure VPN is a unique solution compared with the main alternative, stand-alone hardware encryptors. F-Secure VPNs are extremely easy to set up, configure and maintain. This leads to cost efficiency with no compromise in security. Some firewalls also provide encryption tunnels but these solutions are proprietary (tying the user to a certain firewall) and often quite complicated to configure and update.

Pricing, platforms, and availability

F-Secure VPN ships on CD-ROM with an operating system , e.g. it does not require any OS pre-installed into Intel PC, which will act as F-Secure VPN router.

F-Secure VPN is priced at $4,995 for two VPNs to $15,885 for nine VPNs with volume discounts available. F-Secure VPN 1.1 is immediately available world-wide.

F-Secure product family background

F-Secure means industry standard cryptography from Data Fellows. The F-Secure product family consists of solutions from Data Fellows for the protection of sensitive Windows and UNIX communications and data.

The F-Secure product line was introduced in April 1996 with the launch of F-Secure SSH. F-Secure SSH secures TCP/IP terminal communications in UNIX and Windows environments. The F-Secure family has since been extended by F-Secure SSH for Macintosh, F-Secure VPN for connecting multiple local area networks into secure virtual private network over the Internet, F-Secure Commerce for securing electronic commerce on Internet, F-Secure Intranet for securing web-based communication in companies and F-Secure Desktop for protecting data on PC computers.