Data Security | News

Barracuda Integrates Cloud-Based Security Management with NG Firewall Appliance

• By Leila Meyer
• 02/15/12

Barracuda Networks has integrated its cloud-based Web filtering and security service, Barracuda Web Security Flex, with its firewall appliance, Barracuda NG Firewall. The goal of this integration is to provide Web filtering and reporting functionality without dragging down the performance of the firewall appliance.

Barracuda Networks is positioning this new integrated offering as an alternative to traditional appliance-based Web content security, which can be processor-intensive. According to the company, integrating these two products enables organizations to "use lightweight on-premises hardware for core network security functions and leverage the cloud for more resource intensive Web content security functions."

Steve Pao, vice president of product management for Barracuda Networks said that this approach enables them to "apply the most up-to-date security countermeasures against the latest threats, while minimizing the hardware footprint and upgrade cycles required to provide that protection."

Barracuda NG Firewall is a family network firewalls that are available as hardware and virtual appliances. The NG in the name stands for "next generation," which means the firewall goes beyond filtering traffic based solely on ports and protocols, as with a traditional firewall. NG firewalls can also filter traffic based on applications or types of traffic passing through those ports.

Barracuda Web Security Flex is a cloud-based Web content filtering and security service that enables network administrators to isolate users from Internet threats, manage bandwidth, and filter content.

Key features of the Barracuda NG Firewall and Barracuda Web Security Flex integration include:

• Availability of Barracuda Web Security Agent to Barracuda NG Firewall customers;
• Ability to extend Web security to off-network machines;
• Cloud capacity that automatically scales up or down depending on the number of users that need to be filtered;
• Advanced malware scanning, content filtering, and centralized reporting across multiple locations; and
• Centralized management of firewall rules and Web usage policies across multiple locations.

Further information about Barracuda NG Firewall and Barracuda Web Security Flex is available on the Barracuda site.