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WatchGuard Increases Visibility with New Network Discovery and Mobile Security Capabilities

Distributed enterprises and SMBs gain new insights into network threats, attacks, malware and mobile security, with user anonymization for GDPR

24 May 2016 – WatchGuard Technologies, today released WatchGuard Dimension 2.1, the latest version of its powerful data visualisation and reporting suite, along with Fireware® 11.11, its security-hardened operating system. These releases provide increased visibility across the entire network for distributed enterprises and small and midsize businesses (SMBs). This allows IT professionals to scan networks for unauthorised devices with WatchGuard’s Network Discovery; gain real-time visibility into infected clients with Botnet Detection; identify and audit mobile devices connected to the network with Mobile Security; and take advantage of new Dimension reporting and management capabilities.

Organisations lacking comprehensive and actionable visibility across their networks face greater risk and slower response times for attack mitigation. Additionally, they have difficulty managing everyday network nuisances such as downtime and bottlenecks that negatively impact employee productivity.

“As a managed services provider, we are constantly looking for ways to optimise how we monitor and investigate suspicious traffic in our customers’ environments,” said Tom Sykes, CEO at Rockford IT, a WatchGuard MSP. “WatchGuard’s Network Discovery service is one of the new services that enables us to stay one step ahead of potential breaches by providing a clear view into network traffic, connected devices and user activity.”

Dimension 2.1 also includes a new User Anonymization feature that enables businesses to conform to European privacy directives including the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) framework. “With its User Anonymization feature, Dimension replaces all personally identifiable information (PII), including user names and IP addresses, with unique, randomly generated characters, which can only be unlocked after approval of a privacy officer. Importantly, this allows the continued use of big data analytics using anonymised data within the GDPR framework,” said Jonathan Whitley, area sales director for Northern Europe at WatchGuard Technologies.

“We talk about visibility as the missing layer of information security, but really, it’s more like night vision goggles,” said Corey Nachreiner, chief technology officer at WatchGuard. “It allows you to see into areas that were previously just a shadowy void. No matter how good your security may be, the threat landscape will continue to evolve. Since you can’t stop every attack, you need to have mechanisms that help you see, analyse and respond to them before it’s too late.”

PRODUCT UPDATES:

Fireware 11.11:

• Network Discovery: a subscription service that performs a complete network scan to quickly generate a visual map of every connected device, providing WatchGuard Firebox administrators total visibility into all assets on their network. The technology ensures only authorised devices are in place, while at the same time detecting open ports and identifying the protocols that are running.
• Botnet Detection: integrated into the Reputation Enabled Defence service. Customers gain real-time visibility into infected clients and command and control communication is immediately blocked.
• Mobile Security: a subscription service that delivers an additional layer of network visibility by giving administrators the ability to identify and audit mobile devices that connect to the network. This allows Firebox administrators to enforce access controls and only allow mobile devices that adhere to current corporate policies and are free of malware.

Dimension 2.1:

• Subscription Services Dashboard: a reporting interface that gives businesses a comprehensive performance summary with statistics to show what has been scanned by a Firebox and attacks or malware that have been prevented. It enables IT managers to deliver that information in an easily digestible format for non-technical users.
• Policy Usage Report: a new report that provides valuable insight into how frequently policies are used, thereby enabling IT teams to keep firewall policies current and eliminate unnecessary or unused policies. This report is often requested by PCI auditors since unused policies are a good indicator of a poorly managed and maintained firewall.
• User Anonymization: an innovative feature that enables businesses to conform to data privacy regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation framework, by anonymising end-user information.

For more information on the latest visibility features and tools from WatchGuard, visit these additional resources:
• Network Discovery Tech Brief
• User Anonymization Tech Brief
• Network Visibility Infographic
• Network Visibility eBook
• Network Visibility Webinar