In the beginning of the year 2010, Cyberoam introduced a new innovation in the name of Cyberoam --Version X. Now, Tushar Sighat, V P–Operations, Cyberoam – India & SAARC explains how this product creates better inroads into the SMB and enterprise market with its unmatched features. 
 
The News Xpress: What are the specialties of Cyberoam --Version X?
 
Tushar Sighat: The aims behind rolling out Cyberoam’s Version X firmware are manifold —
1) Speedier user interface (UI) to reflect next-generation security practices: 
 Security software, with their focus on features and granularity, have always lagged behind web portals in adopting usability and new interface technology.

Consequently, Cyberoam’s aim was to add speed to security by removing the clutter in managing multiple features in a Unified Threat Management appliance.
 
This has been achieved by redesigning the user interface (UI) from web-based to Web 2.0-based which leads to the following benefits — easing of administrator tasks, smoothening of navigation tasks, minimizing errors by predicting what the administrator is likely to do, reduced downtime, reducing the need to use Help and search buttons and helpdesk calls, dashboard alerts, faster renewals and updates.
 
As a result of above benefits, the slogan of Cyberoam’s Version X launch is “simplifying security”.
 
2) Future-ready “Extensible Security Architecture”
 
The aim here was to make the Cyberoam UTM appliance “future ready” by including a newer, robust architecture that could support future feature enhancements to tackle dynamic, content-based threats. The same cannot be done by ASIC-based UTM architectures since are not as easily upgradable to meet future security needs.
 
3) Greater depth of features
 
Cyberoam has added greater depth to security by including new features set which lead to improved efficiency, more customizability, prevention of data leakage, enterprise-class performance, applications visibility and increased productivity across the board.
 
4) IPV6 Traffic forwarding support
 
From this version onwards, Cyberoam supports forwarding of IPv6 traffic and appliances are “IPv6 Ready” certified from official IPV6 Ready Logo Committee, one of the very few UTM appliances to do so. It is the highest forms of third party validation because it is an international testing program with 3000+ rigorous test cases.
 
TNX: What are the benefits to customers for using this product?
 
TS: Cyberoam Version X simplifies UTM security with an array of features which allow greater usability, more efficiency for the administrator and greater price/performance and price/features benefits. Cyberoam Version X is now available across the entire spectrum of security market, from SOHO/ROBO to SMB as well as medium and large enterprises. Consequently, the following benefits will be observed:
 
Enhanced identity-based security: Cyberoam believes that the user is the weakest link in security for any organization, because they can cause identity theft, data loss, data deletion and data modification, apart from becoming victim of social engineering attacks (phishing, pharming etc.), being infection agents for worms, malicious codes, viruses and malware. Cyberoam’s unique Layer 8 Technology puts security around the end user and treats user identity as the 8th layer in the network stack (see below figure). Consequently, it offers instant visibility into source of attacks, identifies offending users and victims with usernames and configures policy management based on users.
 
Multiple array of features at same price as before: Customers now have an array of features to choose from. That too, at no additional costs.
 
User-friendly interface: A user-friendly interface makes it an easy task for policy-setting and minimizing configuration errors while smoothening navigation and visibility.
 
Future-ready threat preparedness: Cyberoam users can now rapidly upgrade their legacy UTM appliance to add more powerful features whenever there is a need to combat dynamic, content-based threats.
 
Quick, easy upgradation from previous versions: Cyberoam customers can easily upgrade to Version X from whatever version they are in, using an automated configuration migration tool which is available online.
 
TNX: What are the unmatched features of this product?
 
TS: Cyberoam Version X supports several major and minor feature enhancements as below, which make a huge difference in the security, connectivity and productivity of an organization (SCP):
 
Instant Messenger Management: Lack of IT administrative controls over IM activities and the lack of trail on who the employees talk to and for how much time encourages idle chat by users. Besides chat conversations, IMs are today used to send data, audio and video files, and also pose a malware threat to the organization.
 
Cyberoam’s Version X Instant Messenger Management takes care of above problems. Cyberoam’s Gateway Anti-virus can scan Instant Messenger traffic for any malware.
 
Application Layer Management: In the age of Cloud computing, applications residing within the organization’s data centers are today moving out on the cloud, competing with external applications for bandwidth. There is a need to resolve the tussle for users’ time, space and bandwidth between cloud and external applications.
 
3G/WWAN Connectivity:  With introduction of 3G (Third Generation) support, Cyberoam now delivers twin protection for high-speed secure wireless WAN (WWAN) combined with high-performance UTM. It not only secures the wireless connection but also inspects and encrypts the traffic over the wireless network. Hence, Cyberoam now supports set of security policies over both wired as well as wireless networks.
 
Integration with Cyberoam iView for Logging and Reporting: Cyberoam is now integrated with Cyberoam-iView to offer wide spectrum of 1000+ unique user identity-based reporting across applications and protocols and provide in-depth network visibility to help organizations take corrective and preventive measures.
 
Data Leakage Prevention: Cyberoam UTM has been now upgraded to combat data leakage through above features options. In addition, it has transparent email archiving to manage data leakage activities through email of recipients.
 
TNX: What kind of research have you conducted before launching this product?
 
TS: Cyberoam engaged in customer research with several surveys made on customers and partners about how they typically use UTM solutions in the organization.

We also built our Extensible Security Architecture(ESA) based on the idea that UTMs should be prepared for future needs of the market as the UTM definition is diverging based on the security needs of different every vertical. Consequently, the architecture was developed grounds up with extensibility and performance in mind.

TNX: How long have you taken for the R&D of this product?
 
TS: Version X has been a result of 18 calendar months long development effort with around 40 developers working on it.
 
TNX: Do you think that fast fade out of newer technology is good to the industry?
 
TS: Security industry is an area where older technologies often pave the way for newer technologies. For example, what was once firewall yesterday, has today metamorphosed into a powerful feature-enhanced UTM appliance. Similarly, If we have to talk about Version X, the interface has evolved from CLI-based black screens to software GUI’s to web based GUI’s and NOW, web 2.0-based GUI’s.
 
TNX: How do you observe the future threats in IT industry? And what are your solutions for this?
 
TS: Most security attacks get more dangerous over time, and some attacks will make major advancements in the future. Malware, for example, will only get worse over the next year, even from its current state of sophisticated botnets. Malicious code will get easier to use, and criminals will have the ability to configure applications, improved toolkits and update mechanisms to incorporate zero-day attacks and customizations.
 
Many threats will be content-based and emanate from sources such as Web 2.0, VoIP, streaming media, IM, P2P etc. Phishing and social engineering attacks from media such as Facebook, Twitter and other sites is also to look out for. Then, there are threats to virtualization security and the increasing usage of Cloud-based applications. For example, it may be possible for a hacker to "break out" of a VM's guest operating system and into the host OS of a server. This invites the possibility of installing rootkits and other malware.
 
To counteract above threats, Cyberoam’s Version X has geared up with state-of-the-art features. These include an extensible security architecture (ESA) which can rapidly accommodate newer security solutions without degrading system performance, thus, fighting against newer forms of content-based and dynamic threats from sources such as Web 2.0, VoIP, IM, P2P etc. This makes the solution rapidly adapt to future threat scenarios.
 
TNX: How Cyberoam-Version X benefits channel partners?
 
TS: Cyberoam’s Version benefits channel partners in the following ways:
 
Radically improving price/performance ratio of their security solution offering, thus, helping them stand out from other security vendors. When you almost

Double the number of features available in your solution at the same price, there is clearly more scope for profitability and sales.
The initial response to Cyberoam Version X solution has been good in the market. This year we expect a huge sales turnaround based on the powerful package that is Version X. Clearly, our partners stand to benefit from their association with Version X.

Cyberoam’s Version X is available across the entire spectrum of UTM products – SMB, enterprise, SOHO/ROBO and more. We aim to ensure that enhanced market visibility will increase the acceptability of our appliances.
Direct upgradation from existing Versions – Version X may be directly upgraded from whatever earlier version, using an automated configuration migration tool which is available online.
 
TNX: Which segment this product is focusing? What is your anticipated revenue?
 
TS: Cyberoam Version X is geared towards all the major verticals and customer size segments including banking and finance, government and defence, education, IT/ITeS, small and mid-sized enterprises, large enterprises and more.

We have got a very positive response from sales team and expect to see a phenomenal growth in our revenues this year.
 
TNX: Explain the cost factor of Cyberoam --Version X?
 
TS: None. Cyberoam’s Version X may be directly upgraded from whatever earlier version, using an automated configuration migration tool which is available online.
 
TNX: What will be the focus of Cyberoam in the next quarter?
 
TS: Our focus would be as follows:
 
Targeting large enterprises – for this, we are introducing new, powerful range of appliances.
Targeting home users – We will be launching an appliance targeting home users very soon, if not within this very quarter.
Security solutions for virtualization and cloud computing – As our launch of Version X with Application Layer Management shows, we will continue to bring security solutions which address these concerns.