Completing Your Security: F-Secure Distributed Firewall 5.50

The three biggest security concerns for corporate networks are computer viruses, openness of the network, and lack of user awareness:

Viruses cause damage by destroying, modifying or sending confidential and other sensitive information to the Internet while simultaneously lowering productivity by making servers and workstations inaccessible.

Network openness is a valid security concern as well, since typically Internet service providers do not limit network access with perimeter firewalls. Without limitations, access to the connected PC is wide open for the whole Internet, exposing the PC for hackers and Trojan probes. The hacker can use the compromised PC as a tool for further network attacks without the user knowing about it. The security risk is extended even more since the broadband access is ‘always-on’, whether the user is using the Internet or not.

Lack of user awareness is the third large IT security concern since end-users are not sufficiently educated to be aware of malicious e-mail attachments. Also, the complex security software user interfaces may cause the user to turn the protection off by accident.

For these three biggest security concern areas, F-Secure offers a solid and automated security solution. F-Secure Anti-Virus for Workstations offers complete protection against computer viruses. F-Secure Distributed Firewall tackles the problem of network openness by offering always-on protection for small offices and home users. With only one push of a button, the protection level can be changed, thereby minimizing the risk of turning the protection off accidentally.

The new version of F-Secure Distributed Firewall 5.50 is designed for both single-user and small office customers. The product introduces several usability enhancements that make the product easier for non-technical people to use while providing a rich set of features for advanced users.

With usability in mind, F-Secure Distributed Firewall 5.50 controls which software applications can access the Internet and automatically blocks prohibited applications from sending or receiving data from the network. The application control feature prevents suspicious applications from transferring valuable data to a hacker over the Internet whether the end-user is logged on to the computer or not. With a powerful filtering engine that acts according to the state of each network connection (i.e. a stateful filtering engine), F-Secure Distributed Firewall can automatically and securely open and close communication ports for the requesting applications. This leaves no open doors for hackers.

For users who want to keep precise control over firewall settings, F-Secure Distributed Firewall introduces grouping functionality that can combine different communication rules into one easy-to-use entry, e.g. playing network-based games. Configuration Wizards guide the end-user through the most important configuration steps, leaving advanced settings behind the 'Advanced' button.

For advanced users, F-Secure Distributed Firewall introduces an enhanced traffic-logging feature that provides evidence of possible hacking attempt. The log file stores IP packets from an intrusion attempt in a standard format which can be used for further investigation if needed.


F-Secure Distributed Firewall 5.50 is available on Win95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP platforms in the beginning of 2003.

Author: Topi Hautanen, Product Marketing Manager


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