Welcome to the latest issue of the VPNC Update. We hope you find the news in this issue valuable.
Internet Security Systems (ISS) is a trusted expert to global enterprises and world governments, providing products and services that protect against Internet threats. An established world leader in security since 1994, ISS delivers proven cost efficiencies and reduces regulatory and business risk across the enterprise for more than 11,000 customers worldwide. ISS products and services are based on the proactive security intelligence conducted by ISS X-Force research and development team, an authority in vulnerability and threat research.
On December 15, VPNC announced two new tests in its certification program for assuring usability of SSL Virtual Private Network (VPN) gateways. VPNC's vendor-neutral SSL Portal and SSL Exchange logos join the two existing interoperability tests in VPNC's suite of real-world usability tests. At the same time, VPNC also announced that it awarded logos to the first nine products which passed each of the two tests.
The first products and product families from VPNC member companies to receive the VPNC SSL Portal and SSL Exchange logos are:
It should be noted that, although the two logos are for two separate tests, all products fully passed both tests and therefore received both logos.
The SSL Portal test assures SSL VPN users that a particular SSL gateway system will work correctly as a front end for a typical corporate portal application. To pass, the SSL gateway system has to correctly allow a user outside the corporate firewall access to many linked internal web sites. This involves rewriting the URLs that appear on web pages so that the remote user's experience is similar to an internal user's experience on the same web sites.
The SSL Exchange test assures SSL VPN users that a particular SSL gateway system will work correctly as a front end for Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA). To pass, the SSL gateway system has to correctly allow a user outside the corporate firewall to correctly use OWA from both Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003. This involves rewriting the URLs that appear in email messages so that the remote user's experience is similar to an internal users experience reading the same messages from OWA.
This month, one product received its logo for Basic Interoperability:
Also this month, one product which had already received its logo for Basic Interoperability re-tested based on new core software:
See the VPNC testing page for full lists of all the VPNC members' products which have proven interoperability.
2005 is shaping up to be a very important year for VPNs, and VPNC is building its testing programs to match the expected demand. As you can see above, VPNC just added SSL interoperability testing, but that is just the beginning of our expansion in the coming year.
In the IPsec market, we expect to see many (possibly most) VPNC members release updates to their current products to handle IKEv2, which recently became a standard. Because of this, VPNC has begun informal IKEv2 testing and will follow this with formal logo-level testing when there is a reasonable number of VPNC members shipping IKEv2.
We also expect to add two additional logos for our IPsec testing this year. During the first quarter, we plan to add a logo for conformance to the "UI suites" standard. Later in the year, we will begin testing interoperability for IKEv1 over IPv6, which is becoming more important, particularly in the Asian VPN market.
In the rapidly-growing SSL VPN market, we expect to expand our logo testing to include advanced URL rewriting, as well as interoperability with terminal services. We also expect to add new systems to the lab throughout the year.
In all, we expect 2005 to be a very busy year both for VPN vendors and for VPNC itself.
ADTRAN
ADTRAN Adds Cost-Effective ADSL/ADSL2+ Solutions to NetVanta Family
Caymas
Caymas Systems Reaches One Million Users Mark Two Months After Launch
Check Point
Check Point Software Expands Endpoint Security with VPN and Firewall for Mac
Users
Check Point
Check Point Supports Microsoft Network Access Protection Technology for
Security Policy Enforcement
Cisco
James Glass & Aluminum Deploys a Cisco Storage Area Network to
Manage Surging Information Growth
Cisco
Arthur Robinson Legal Selects Network Security Solution from Cisco
F5
F5 Networks' SSL VPN Product Awarded Key Certification from the Virtual
Private Network Consortium
ISS
Internet Security Systems Adds Artillery to the Battle against Spyware
Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks NetScreen Firewall/VPNs Named Products of the Year by
Information Security, SearchSecurity.com and TheInfoPro
Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks Enhances SSL VPN Offerings
Nortel
Nortel, Symantec Working to Develop Next Generation Security
Nortel
Enhanced Enterprise Security Solutions Deliver Nortel Vision of Trusted
Communications
SafeNet
SafeNet Wins SC Magazine's Best of 2004 Awards for SafeEnterprise SSL
iGate and Luna SA
SafeNet
SafeNet Releases Expanded Line of High Performance SafeXcel IP Security Engines
ServGate
ServGate Security Systems Protect Western Summit's National
Hub-and-Spoke Network
Whale Communications
Whale Communications' SSL VPN Achieves Independent Certification from the VPN Consortium
IPv6 Interoperability Test Event
Chiba, Japan / January 24 - 28, 2005
This event, sponsored by the TAHI project, covers many IPv6 technologies, including IPsec. This is the sixth annual event, and earlier versions have been very well attended.
IPsec/IKEv2 Interoperability Workshop
Santa Clara, California / February 22-24, 2005
The main focus of the event will be testing IKEv2 functionality. All vendors with IKEv2-based VPN products are encouraged to bring their latest products to test in a multi-vendor forum.
The VPNC Update is a low-volume, one-way newsletter to inform people about news in the VPN industry. Subscription is open to everyone, members and non-members alike. Previous issues of the newsletter can be found here. If you have questions about the content of VPNC Update, or suggestions or information for future issues, please send them to Paul Hoffman, VPNC's director.
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