News
New Stonesoft NGFW 5.6 update introduces API and enhanced virtualisation support.
November 2013 by Marc Jacob
The cyber security expert Stonesoft, A McAfee Group Company, releases version 5.6 of its visionary Next Generation Firewall (NGFW). The release enables straightforward integration between the Stonesoft Security Management Center and 3rd party management systems as well as expands the virtual engine support to all available network security roles of Stonesoft NGFW.
API for Security Management Center
Stonesoft Security Management Center (SMC) plays a central role in Stonesoft NGFW by managing and automating network security operations and enabling networks to scale in a cost-efficient manner. The new version 5.6 of Stonesoft NGFW makes the overall management process optimal in environments containing security elements from multiple vendors, where complete visibility and control are often a challenge. Stonesoft NGFW’s new API enables a straightforward integration with any 3rd party operational tools, such as policy management systems. Version 5.6’s SMC API is part of the standard release and therefore doesn’t require separate or new licensing.
Virtualisation
The new release also further enhances virtualisation support. Version 5.6 of Stonesoft NGFW allows one physical appliance to be shared by up to 250 independent virtual network security devices. These virtual devices can be configured to take a Firewall/VPN, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) or Layer 2 Firewall (L2FW) role. Extended support for virtual devices improves flexibility and control of total cost of ownership, especially among managed services providers (MSPs) and large corporations whose service mix and installation size is large.
– Availability
Version 5.6 of Stonesoft NGFW, including the unified software core and Security Management Center, is available in November 2013.
