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Unified Threat Management (UTM) Certification
NB: For the moment, this section also covers
the Firewall, VPN, Anti Spam, Anti Virus, Content Filtering and Web/URL
Filtering certification programs
As part of its extensive UTM test methodology, The NSS Group
subjects each product to a brutal battery of tests that verify the stability
and performance of each device tested, determine the accuracy of its
security coverage, and ensure that the device will not block legitimate
traffic.
If a particular UTM has been designated as NSS Approved, customers can be
confident that the device will not significantly impact network performance
(up to the bandwidth as rated by NSS), cause network crashes, or otherwise
block legitimate traffic.
To assess the complex matrix of UTM performance and security requirements,
The NSS Group has developed a specialised lab environment that is able to
exercise every facet of a UTM product. The test suite contains over 2000
individual tests that evaluate the performance, reliability, security
effectiveness, and usability of UTM products, providing the most thorough
and complete evaluation of UTM products available anywhere today.
The testing covers the seven main security modules typically included in UTM
products: Firewall, VPN, IDS/IPS, Anti Virus, Anti Spam, URL Filtering, and
Content Filtering.
It is important for readers to recognise, however, that NSS would normally
spend a significant amount of time on testing a single IPS, IDS, Anti Spam,
VPN or firewall product. Given that the same amount of time will be
allocated to test each UTM product as would normally be spent on a dedicated
device, it is clearly impractical to test each module of a UTM device to the
same extent as the equivalent dedicated device.
Where vendors wish to prove that a particular module performs in a specific
way, it is possible to submit a UTM device for an additional
security-specific test - NSS has already developed full test suites for all
of the seven security engines listed above. For example, some vendors have
already submitted a product to both the IPS test AND the UTM test.
Readers should therefore not rely on NSS approval of a UTM device to decide
whether that device can operate as a dedicated, single-function security
device (such as a firewall or IPS alone). If a reader is particularly
interested in a UTM device as an IPS appliance or an Anti Virus gateway,
they should look for a product with NSS Approved certification for both UTM
and the specific technology in which he/she is interested.
It is worth pointing out that standards are very high, and not every product
submitted for testing receives an NSS Approved award.
The NSS Group UTM test methodologies have become the de facto standard for
testing in-line UTM devices, and the NSS Approved logo is now an essential
item on the list of requirements when purchasing these products.
Click
here to download the complete UTM testing procedure in PDF format
Click here to see details of the latest
round of test results - a complete list of currently certified products
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Certification Programs
UTM Certification:
Introduction
Testing
Procedure Summary
Testing Procedure (PDF)
Certified UTM Products
Test Equipment
Contact The NSS Group
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