New Features Announced for AccessEnforcer UTM Firewall from Calyptix

Charlotte, NC – Calyptix Security, a leading provider of network security and management tools for small and medium businesses, today announced a new release of its UTM firewall, AccessEnforcer. Included are more than 10 improvements to the device’s security, ease of use, and compliance with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

AccessEnforcer version 3.1.17 brings two enhancements that will help IT providers and their clients more easily pass network scans for PCI DSS compliance:

  • TLS v1.0 is now disabled by default on the AccessEnforcer web interface. Network administrators can enable this protocol if desired, but this is not advised if the network needs to maintain PCI DSS compliance.
  • SHA256 is now the signature algorithm used for the default SSL certificate on the AccessEnforcer web interface. The previous default, SHA1, will be phased out by major web browsers by 2017.

The PCI Security Standards Council released an unscheduled update to the PCI DSS requirements on April 15. Effective immediately, PCI DSS version 3.1 forbids the use of SSL and TLS 1.0 encryption protocols to protect cardholder data.

“PCI DSS compliance is a growing concern for our reseller partners and their clients. The improvements we’ve made to AccessEnforcer will make it easier for small businesses to achieve and maintain PCI compliance on their networks. We will continue to improve our firewall and services to meet those needs,” said Ben Yarbrough, CEO, Calyptix Security.

The AccessEnforcer devices of Calyptix partners and customers will automatically update to version 3.1.17 in the coming weeks. All AccessEnforcers automatically update security rules and firmware as part of standard service. This saves time for network administrators and improves security by ensuring the latest updates are applied quickly and easily.

AccessEnforcer version 3.1.17 also brings several enhancements to the device’s VPN service:

  • CalyptixVPN clients are now saved as part of the automatic configuration backup in AccessEnforcer, and they can be loaded to a new AccessEnforcer device as part of the configuration restore process. This will save hours of time for network administrators upgrading AccessEnforcer device hardware. Now they can now simply restore their backed-up VPN clients along with device configuration backup.
  • New CalyptixVPN Login Attempts page allows network administrators to better track remote users. Here they can see login attempts, logouts, and timeouts, as well as the corresponding times and remote IP addresses.
  • Unique 4096-bit Diffie Hellman groups are now used for key exchange in CalyptixVPN, as well as the AccessEnforcer web interface. This security improvement is in response to reports that 1024-bit Diffie Hellman is vulnerable to attack by state-level actors. Diffie-Hellman is a popular cryptographic algorithm that is fundamental to many encryption protocols such as HTTPS and SSH.

“The improvements we’ve made to CalyptixVPN really embody our aim with AccessEnforcer. We strive to help IT providers and their clients enhance network security and save time, and that’s exactly what these changes do,” said Yarbrough.

Learn more about the AccessEnforcer UTM firewall here – http://www.calyptix.com/products/

About Calyptix Security

Calyptix Security is dedicated to helping small and medium-size businesses secure their networks so they can raise profits, protect investments, and control technology. The company’s UTM device for network security and management, AccessEnforcer, makes it easy to protect SMB networks so companies can forget about network security and focus on winning. Developed, built, and serviced in the U.S., AccessEnforcer is a flexible UTM solution that allows MSPs and VARs to provide security that fits their needs and business models.

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