Stéphanie Reynaud, July the 7th 2003
 FortiGate 60, the "Swiss Army knife" of security for small and medium-sized companies
This box is quite fast, and cumulates antivirus, firewall, VPN, IDS and Web content filter functions. Its set-up is very simple.
Not only does it assure VPN functions, but the Fortigate 60 box by Fortinet (400MHz processor, RAM of 128MB and ASIC-enabled functions) also acts as a firewall and an antivirus system
(with regular updates via the FortiProtect Network), both ICSA certified. Moreover it also serves as an IDS and a Web content filtering system (through URL blockage and keyword analysis). Its set-up is a model of clarity, thanks mainly to a simple web interface.
Four predefined network zones
The firewall´s configuration is made through a series of submenus. Four groups are predefined, relevant to the managed network´s segments: the 4 LAN ports, the DMZ and the WAN 1 and 2 ports.
Activated on default settings, the firewall allows the creation of quite fine rules (source, destination, rule´s lifespan, type of services, actions to undertake). We appreciated the virtual IP function,
which allows the definition of virtual addresses for DMZ-based servers (to make them invisible from the outside) without having to use NAT. As for IDS, it is possible to verify IP, TCP, UDP or ICMP packets,
and to activate the blockage of certain attacks. The antivirus function is parametric to account for the direction of the flows and analyses by default settings for HTTP, SMTP, POP3 and IMAP packets....Alas,
the FTP protocol requires a specific rule definition, without which the system is not protected.
Our performance tests have revealed a good speed level, although it is slightly spoiled by a poor management of the bandwidth´s sharing in FTP mode (the first session freezes the second).
To put it in a nutshell: a seducing product... (at the right price).
|
