UTM - a great option

Unified Threat Management (UTM) is a great option for SMB infrastructure.  I would also say it is a great option for enterprise customers as well.  Many of you know that I am a great customer of Fortinet, as I think their products are a great asset to any organization. 

Let's get down to what is UTM.  In theory, it is the evolution of the traditional firewall into an all-inclusive security product that has the ability to perform multiple security functions in one single appliance.  Functions such as firewall, network intrusion prevention (IPS), gateway antivirus (AV), anti-spam, VPN, content filtering, load balancing and management reporting.  This seems to be the concern of many IT professionals - to many things in a single appliance.  But is it really?  Line speed processing, centralized management, and controls.  The advantages of unified security lies in the fact that rather than administering multiple systems that individually handle anti virus, content filtering, intrusion prevention and spam filtering functions, organizations now have the flexibility to deploy a single UTM appliance that takes over all their functionality into a single rack mountable network appliance.  From my lab experience, you can push a great deal of traffic through this appliance without performance impact.

The main advantages of UTM solutions are simplicity, streamlined installation and use, and the ability to update all the security functions or programs concurrently. So, not only are they a cost-effective purchase, but day-to-day network running costs are also considerably lowered. Such a great degree of functionality provided by a UTM appliance is held as the justification for the replacement of older, more basic Firewalls in favor of a Unified Threat Management firewall appliance that does it all.

The ultimate goal of a UTM is to provide a comprehensive set of security features in a single product and managed through a single console. Integrated security solutions evolved as a logical way to tackle the increasingly complex blended internet threats impacting organizations.  As support staff get smaller, making security management easier and more efficient should be a goal. 

I propose to you some key values to UTM:
Key advantages

1.Reduced complexity: Single security solution. Single Vendor. Single AMC

2.Simplicity: Avoidance of multiple software installation and maintenance

3.Easy Management: Plug & Play Architecture, Web-based GUI for easy management

4.Performance: Zero-hour protection without degrading the network performance

5.Troubleshooting: Single point of contact – 24 × 7 vendor support

6.Reduced technical training requirements, one product to learn.

7.Regulatory compliance
 
Many IT shops still feel it is better to have single devices in the core - your large enterprise shops.  That is ok, use UTM technology on the perimeter, sales offices, remote employees, - there is a use for this technology at all companies.  I propose for enterprises with remote networks or distantly located offices, UTMs are the only means to provide centralized security with complete control over their globally distributed networks. Enterprises, thus get zero-hour protection at branch offices against security attacks despite the lack of technical resources at these locations.
 
There are many UTM products on the market these days, so take a look at each one, do your homework.  Don't buy into the single appliance can't handle the traffic or is a single point of failure.  You can have HA options with UTM, and they can process a great deal of traffic before becoming a bottleneck.  There is great value in UTM technology.
 
Stay positive and engaged!

Scott Arnett
scott.arnett@charter.net