Funkwerk Enterprise Communications upgrades its PacketAlarm UTM (Unified Threat Management) series. Release 1.9 is now available featuring SSL-VPN based secure data connections, extended e-mail security and VLAN support for setting up virtual security zones. Thus, Funkwerk Enterprise Communications GmbH, a Funkwerk AG company, has once again significantly expanded the functional scope of its IT security appliances.

Secure Data Connection with SSL-VPNs
With the current release 1.9, PacketAlarm UTM systems support SSL-VPNs, providing external employees with fast and secure access to the corporate network via the SSL encrypted VPN connection. The number of VPN connections is not limited by software, the associated SSL-VPN client for Windows operating systems is free of charge. Configuration of the SSL-VPN client is very easy: The user can obtain the necessary configuration file either from the administrator or directly by downloading it from the UTM system, the automatic set up of the VPN client is started by double-clicking the configuration file.

Extended E-mail Protection
The PacketAlarm UTM systems UTM1500, UTM2100 and UTM2500 now also offer the quarantine zone for e-mails with unwanted content – also for SMTP: Viruses and spam e-mails can now be sorted out and stored directly on the UTM systems. So the internal IT infrastructure in the company is not burdened, as unwanted e-mails are not forwarded to the internal mail server in the first place.

VLAN Support
Release 1.9 allows administrators to set up VLANs (virtual LANs) irrespective of the number of physical ports, such as those for virtual demilitarized zones (DMZ). A DMZ is a separate network area between the Internet and the internal corporate network. Usually the systems here are e-mail servers or web servers which have to be available externally. Separation into several virtual zones raises security. A dedicated and individual system of UTM security rules is defined for each VLAN.

Time-controlled System of Rules
Another innovation in release 1.9 for the PacketAlarm UTM series is the use of time-controlled firewall and content filter rules: These allow the company to enable certain website categories during break times, for example, or block data traffic via an access point in the DMZ for security reasons at nights and at the weekends.

Release 1.9 for the PacketAlarm UTM family can now be downloaded from the Funkwerk Enterprise Communications site http://www.funkwerk-ec.com/utm-downloads