McAfee Security, a division of Network Associates Inc., announced the availability of McAfee Desktop Firewall 7.5 on Monday, combining packet and application filtering and embedded IDS (intrusion detection system) technology to secure enterprises and remote users.
The new personal firewall software features bi-directional IDS functionality capable of logging or blocking traffic from a suspicious source, as well as pinpointing IP spoofing -- a common feature of DoS (denial-of-service) attacks, said Jacqueline Bury, product marketing manager for Santa Clara, Calif.-based McAfee Security.
Bury said that once intrusions are detected, the information is sent directly to ePolicy Orchestrator, McAfee's single-console AV (anti-virus) management tool. Reports generated are then capable of helping security administrators determine the severity of the attack and build appropriate firewall policies to protect the network.
According to Eric Hemmendinger, research director of information security for Boston-based Aberdeen Group Inc., solutions such as the updated McAfee Desktop Firewall will be highly sought by customers that wish to build an integrated rules-based policy engine and complement anti-virus protection by stopping attacks slipping through the cracks, including Trojans, microbes, malware, and zombies.
"Every enterprise has [AV] deployed in same way shape or form, but that doesn't mean they have the virus problem licked," Hemmendinger said. "[End-users] are now worried about what happens to things you may think of as viruses ... and can do some similar things but can't be spotted, detected, or mitigated. AV solutions cannot provide 100 percent coverage."
McAfee Desktop Firewall 7.5 includes Smart Rules and Learning Mode, features that allow IT managers to track activities and construct policies based on the behavior of IP addresses, ranges, protocols, subnets, and application-specific rules for inbound and outbound traffic. Policy lockdowns and updates are transparently transmitted to users, according to Bury.
The software product is available on Microsoft Windows 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, and 2000 platforms.