VMware Virtualization News

Sourcefire, Inc. announced the general availability of the Sourcefire 3D System 4.9 release, providing more than two dozen intrusion prevention system (IPS) enhancements, including improved network visibility, new dashboard customization options, and the industry’s first Policy Layering capability. The company has also released its first VMware-based virtual appliances to extend IPS protection to virtualized systems and remote office locations.

Sourcefire’s innovative Adaptive IPS automates key intrusion prevention functions, such as IPS tuning, impact assessment, user correlation and network discovery. With the 4.9 release, Sourcefire has raised the bar by offering the industry’s first Policy Layering capability, enabling organizations with multiple detection policies to construct them in “building blocks,” making it easy to create and modify policies by geography, site, department, or even by user. Sourcefire has also added a Custom Analysis Widget to its portal-like dashboard affording even greater flexibility, and it has expanded its application detection capabilities by adding new detectors for Oracle, Firefox, Gnutella, Timbuktu, and more.

Along with the 3D System 4.9 release, Sourcefire is now shipping its first VMware-based virtual appliances, including the Sourcefire Virtual 3D Sensor and Sourcefire Virtual Defense Center. Compatible with VMware’s ESX and ESXi platforms, the Virtual 3D Sensor offers IPS protection from 5 to 500Mbps and can be monitored and managed by physical or virtual Defense Center management consoles. These new virtual appliances afford enterprises, managed security service providers (MSSPs), and cloud computing providers with the same Snort-based IPS protection as their physical 3D Sensor counterparts.

Virtualization provides organizations with a number of cost-saving and operational benefits. However, analysts have found that certain risks are often overlooked and should be considered before virtualized platforms are even deployed. “In the rush to virtualize for cost savings, security and management issues are often afterthoughts, resulting in a reduction on overall security levels from physical environments,” says Neil MacDonald, Vice President and Gartner Fellow. “To avoid unexpected costs or increased and unexpected risks, engage proactively in a discussion of the security and management issues associated with a virtual environment before widespread virtualization initiatives are undertaken¹.”

Sourcefire’s Virtual 3D Sensor and Virtual Defense Center enable users to secure their virtual environments and to “virtualize” their security implementations for increased operational efficiencies. Organizations can leverage Sourcefire’s virtual appliances to:

• Monitor traffic between two or more virtual machines (VMs)
• Monitor traffic between physical hosts and VMs
• Monitor traffic between multiple physical hosts
• Help contain the growing problem of VM Sprawl

“The initial response to the Sourcefire 3D System 4.9 has been very positive, with nearly five times as many users beta testing 3D System 4.9 as previous releases,” said Tom McDonough, President and COO at Sourcefire. “With Sourcefire’s new virtual security solutions, organizations can secure their VMware infrastructure and better leverage their VMware investment. Sourcefire now enables customers to secure critical assets in both their physical and virtual environments without the fear of disrupting business operations.”

The Sourcefire 3D System 4.9 release and new VMware-based virtual appliances are available now. Contact a Sourcefire representative or authorized Sourcefire channel partner to learn more.