WatchGuard Updates Zero-Day Protection Engine

WatchGuard Technologies has announced the release of a new POP3 proxy to its zero-day protection engine, giving users of the Firebox X Core and Peak UTM appliances another tool in the fight against network threats. WatchGuard’s zero-day protection engine guards against malicious attacks, including zero-day threats, in which the vulnerability or virus has not yet been discovered.

The added POP3 proxy provides POP3 level gateway protection, essentially putting a virtual watch guard at the email gateway monitoring for suspicious activity based on a programmed set of acceptable protocols, and taking action against unwelcome traffic.

According to the release, WatchGuard’s new POP3 proxy is not limited to just scanning for threats based on the currently available signature set. The proxy scans traffic passing through the gateway allowing only activity which conforms to acceptable protocols. Programmes that execute outside acceptable protocols are disallowed entry to the network, incapacitating the attack.

The POP3 proxy update to WatchGuard’s zero-day protection engine was made available as part of a larger release to WatchGuard’s Fireware operating software for their Firebox X Core and Peak UTM appliance lines.