Messaging Appliance manages internal and public IMs

Providing secure, seamless channel for business communication, Barracuda IM Firewall incorporates IM server with native consumer IM traffic filtering, IM logging/archiving, and policy management technologies. It is capable of managing and archiving all public IM traffic and also provides secure internal IM server. Available in 5 models, product supports up to 7,000 users and comes with keyword identification and reporting tools.



New Appliance Combines Internal IM Server With Easy and Secure Management of Public IM Services

DEMOfall 2005, HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Sept. 19 /-- Barracuda Networks, Inc., today launched the Barracuda IM Firewall, the first and only all-in-one instant messaging appliance, at the prestigious DEMOfall 2005 conference. The Barracuda IM Firewall incorporates an IM server with native consumer IM traffic filtering, IM archiving and policy management technologies in an easy-to-use and affordable solution, creating a secure and seamless channel for rapid business communication.

"The benefits of IM are undeniable for businesses, yet the security risks and challenges are paramount for many organizations that are considering widespread IM implementation for their networks," said Chris Shipley, executive producer of DEMOfall 2005. "The Barracuda IM Firewall is the first complete solution to allow organizations to harness the power of IM while eliminating the security risks."The Barracuda IM Firewall provides the tools necessary for organizations to secure, monitor, and manage all IM communication. The Barracuda IM Firewall is capable of managing and archiving all public IM traffic as well as provides a secure internal instant messaging server for internal, and often confidential, corporate communications.

The Barracuda IM Firewall's secure internal IM server, coupled with strong IM traffic identification and archiving functionality solves the increasing concerns surrounding IM use and compliance with laws such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and other industry regulations. The Barracuda IM Firewall features automatic compliant IM logging and complete archiving including date, time and full text of discussions between parties. The Barracuda IM Firewall captures and logs all IM traffic -- from the internal IM server and public IM services and networks -- and provides enough space to log the maximum number of users for five years.

"This is a truly priceless benefit for healthcare, financial, legal, educational, and government organizations in particular," said Dean Drako, president and CEO of Barracuda Networks. "Using the Barracuda IM Firewall, businesses will no longer have to second guess whether IM is a fully compliant and completely secure means of communication."

In addition to IM traffic identification and archiving, the Barracuda IM Firewall also provides:

-- Private and Secure IM Server/Network: All internal Barracuda IM Firewall messages are encrypted using up to 256bit encryption with full logging capabilities for an audit trail of all business communications.

-- Keyword Identification and Reporting: The Barracuda IM Firewall Keyword Identification and Reporting tools allow administrators to monitor and control the types of IM traffic on their network. With Keyword Identification, administrators can flag certain words, phrases or regular expressions (i.e. account numbers) that violate company policy and enable the administrator to take appropriate action. The Reporting tools enable administrators to view which users are utilizing which IM services and for how long, ensuring that user productivity on IM is kept at a premium.

-- Interoperability with Public IM Networks: The Barracuda IM Firewall is compatible with popular IM services such as AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, ICQ and the new Google Talk service, making it easy to manage and monitor public IM services that may already be in use within the organization as well as block access to public IM as needed.

-- Unified Client for all IM Networks: The Barracuda IM Firewall client allows users to access secure internal IM and all public IM networks from a single familiar interface. The Barracuda IM Firewall comes fully featured in one easy to use and deploy appliance. Unlike competing products, no additional software or servers are required to integrate message archiving or policy management capabilities.

The launch of the Barracuda IM Firewall follows Barracuda Networks focus on providing its growing customer base with powerful and innovative solutions that protect against threats to emerging network applications such as instant messaging.