WatchGuard Technologies launches an update of the software powering its Firebox Unified Security Platform appliances-- Fireware version 12.2, now with an artificial intelligence engine able to predict, detect and block zero-day malware.
Dubbed IntelligentAV, the antivirus scan service joins the Threat Detection and Response (TDR), Gateway AntiVirus, and APT Blocker features as an additional layer of industry-leading malware defense on the Firebox platform. It is based on Cylance malware detection technology, and uses machine learning to predict and detect future malware samples even without access to the latest threat intelligence and signature databases.
Further features in Fireware 12.2 include the addition of WatchGuard System Manager for the management of multiple Firebox Cloud instances hosted on AWS or Azure, granular policies to restrict certain traffic types to or from specific countries and TLS proxy protocols enabling malware inspection for the POP3S and SMTPS (or POP3 and SMTP over TLS) mail retrieval protocols. WebBlocker is updated with the ability to generate alerts by category, and users can host multiple servers and applications behind a single Firebox, each with own proxy certificate.
"Traditional signature-based antivirus, while still an important part of one’s overall security posture, no longer provides adequate protection against modern malware, which is often obfuscated to evade detection,” WatchGuard says. “That’s why WatchGuard believes that layering multiple advanced security solutions is the best way for businesses to protect their assets and their customer’s data. IntelligentAV is the latest example of how we use best-in-class technologies to deliver high-performance layered security for customers.”