McAfee targets web apps with Firewall Enterprise 8

McAfee's latest firewall aims to take account of the profusion of apps

McAfee has launched a new version of its enterprise firewall, promising greater visibility and protection from internal and external threats, as well as improved manageability.

McAfee Firewall Enterprise 8 features expanded application awareness and protection to take account of the explosion in Web 2.0 and other apps, according to senior product marketing manager Mike Smart.

"Ten years ago the threats were at the network layer and it was all about speed," he explained. "We've found that firewalls haven't really responded to the market; they've been delivering the same features for a while, but it's not necessarily up to the job."

The product also takes advantage of TrustedSource, a technology McAfee acquired when it bought Secure Computing. This reputation-based geo-location filter allows organisations to limit their network connections to those with good reputations and from relevant locations, said Smart.

Firewall Enterprise 8 also benefits from the combined threat intelligence of all of McAfee's resources in web, email risk and compliance, malware and other parts of the business, he added.

Also introduced today is McAfee Firewall Profiler, which enables firms to pinpoint how firewall rules affect the availability and security of applications. This allows administrators to be much more agile in the way they respond to business needs, according to McAfee.