Symantec has announced the newest version of Symantec Information Foundation, an integrated Information Risk Management (IRM) product suite that builds on the company's Security 2.0 strategy. Symantec Information Foundation delivers advanced controls to safeguard companies against data loss with unified protection for e-mail, Web and instant messaging (IM). The new solution, expected to be available this summer, enables information entering or exiting the organization to be archived, audited and discovered through a validated process that ensures proper chains of custody.
The new release of Symantec Information Foundation 2007 helps customers to prevent data loss by delivering an integrated suite that includes new versions of its market-leading products, including Symantec Enterprise Vault 2007, Symantec Mail Security 8300 Series appliances, Symantec IM Manager 2007, Symantec Mail Security for Domino 2007 and beta support for content filtering of outbound Web communications.
Integrated Data Loss Prevention
With so many high-profile data breaches over the past several years, the scope of information security has expanded from preventing external threats to ensuring sensitive data doesn't leave the organization. Symantec Information Foundation includes several new features to help control the flow of data in organizations, including:
- Identification, classification and control of sensitive corporate data held in databases, e-mails, IM and file systems
- Review, hold, release and audit of e-mail, IM and Web communications for policy compliance
- Beta support for filtering outgoing Web communications to prevent accidental or intentional data loss through sites such as Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail
Integrated E-mail and IM Management for IBM Lotus and Microsoft Collaboration Platforms
As employees adopt IM for day-to-day business processes, companies are realizing that messaging security must evolve to address new types of communication. To address these changes, Symantec Information Foundation now offers:
- The first integrated appliance to secure e-mail and IM from viruses, spam and “spim” (IM-bourne spam), and other external threats by integrating acquired IMlogic technology and leveraging insight from Symantec's Global Intelligence Network
- The first integrated suite to manage archiving and security for the IBM Lotus collaboration platform
- The first integrated suite to manage archiving and security for the Microsoft collaboration platform, including new support for archiving Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Office Communication Server 2007
E-Discovery Chain of Custody Validation
With the recent changes to the U.S. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, global enterprises are assessing their ability to produce information in the event of a lawsuit or investigation. Organizations are being challenged to defend the process by which the data was retained and preserved, referred to as the “chain of custody.” Symantec Enterprise Vault 2007 includes several new features to help customers in these areas, including:
New reports and tools to validate and demonstrate the chain of custody of messages through the archival and discovery processes The ability to decrypt, index and discover content protected by the PGP encryption system, in addition to existing support for decrypting content protected by Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) and Entrust Secure, API-based hand-off of data from Symantec Enterprise Vault Discovery Accelerator to third-party litigation support tools, reducing the risk of data being tampered with and challenges to chain of custody during the export process.
To help customers maximize the value of their investments, Symantec offers a range of consulting, education and support services that complement and enhance the technology and business benefits of Symantec Information Foundation. Symantec Consulting Services provide numerous IRM offerings that enable organizations to establish more effective protection for messaging and collaboration systems, and lower the operational costs associated with data retention, e-Discovery and systems management. Symantec's in-house Security Residents which specialize in messaging security and compliance can supplement a client's IT staff and help refocus internal resources on other strategic business initiatives.
Symantec also provides hands-on technical training on migration, administration and new advanced features for Symantec Enterprise Vault and Symantec Mail Security 8300. Courses, which can be taught in the classroom or online, provide instruction on product functionality, operations and features. Advanced Enterprise Vault courses cover topics on management and reporting, audits, Outlook Web Access, offline vault, back up and restore.
“Information security today transcends locking down systems and is more about securing the information,” said Francis deSouza, vice president, Information Foundation Group, Symantec. “Historically, organizations have had to deploy and manage a variety of disparate point products for e-mail, IM, web and archiving. Symantec Information Foundation enables customers to take a holistic, integrated approach by intelligently classifying, managing, and controlling information risk from within a single, integrated solution.”
Availability
Symantec Information Foundation 2007 and the standalone products are available through Symantec's worldwide network of value-added authorized resellers, distributors and systems integrators, and are scheduled for availability this summer.
Symantec customers interested in learning more about the beta version of Symantec's gateway security support for filtering Web communications should contact their Symantec account manager. |
