Abstract

Symantec Corp. commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate its Symantec Gateway Security solution, a full-inspection firewall with integrated dynamic routing and VLAN support, intrusion prevention, anti-virus, anti-spam, URL and Dynamic Document Review- based (DDR) content filtering, VPN (IPSec and SSL), and intrusion detection.

Tolly Group engineers evaluated the capability of the Symantec Gateway Security (SGS) Version 3.0 software running on a Symantec Gateway Security 5660 to identify and to block network attacks common to enterprise networks. Engineers also examined the SGS capability to isolate and to block suspicious network and audit events, and as well as block common evasion techniques used to deceive security appliances and affect end users. Additionally, engineers measured the aggregate throughput delivered by the SGS 5660 while configured to scan all traffic for attacks, as well as the connection set-up rate and the maximum number of sustained connections supported. Finally, engineers evaluated the graphical user interface (Security Gateway Management Interface) of the SGS. Tests were conducted during September and November 2005.

Engineers benchmarked the SGS appliance against a Cisco Systems, Inc. Adaptive Security 5520 appliance and a Juniper Networks, Inc. NetScreen-500 integrated firewall/IPSec VPN security appliance.