Security vendors preach convergence

Network Associates and Sourcefire issued what each calls its next generation of intrusion detection and prevention products.

Network Associates this week furthered its strategy with two updated products: McAfee Entercept 5.0 and McAfee IntruShield 2.1. Entercept integrates an IPS (intrusion prevention system) and a firewall in one product and adds a management dashboard to simplify events from both Entercept and IntruShield.

IntruShield 2.1 integrates network IPS and internal firewall capabilities and marries events from both products into a single console. This latest iteration is also capable of protecting against encrypted attacks.

The convergence of firewalls and IDSes (intrusion detection systems) will be a boon to what many see as a fragmented security product landscape, according to Vimal Solanki, senior product marketing manager at Network Associates.

“It’s one plus one equals three because you can do a lot more with a single product. You have one screen to look at what’s going on,” Solanki said.

Sourcefire last week detailed its 3D Product Suite and Intrusion Sensor 4.0, the latter of which CEO Wayne Jackson said brings the company into the IPS fray.

Jackson said 3D unifies intrusion detection and vulnerability management. The suite includes Intrusion Sensors and Agents, RNA Sensors, and Defense Center.

Pete Lindstrom, analyst at Spire Security, agreed, saying most companies in the IDS space are making firewalls smarter and more aware of intrusions.

“There’s so much noise out there on the Internet that it’s nice to eliminate some of that,” Lindstrom said.