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Check Point announces VPN-1 support for Apple iPhone

Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - 11:35 AM EDT

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. has announced Check Point VPN-1 support for the Apple iPhone, allowing secure remote access to corporate network systems. Check Point VPN-1 enables an encrypted connection between the iPhone and VPN-1 gateway, protecting in-transit data.

When deploying any device for corporate use, IT faces the challenge of safeguarding the traffic in and out of the private network. Check Point VPN-1 supports the L2TP client embedded in all current and future iPhone versions, giving customers immediate IPsec virtual private network (VPN) access to corporate servers. Customers can send and receive email and utilize company resources, including internal Web portals, file servers and IP-based corporate applications, without the need for additional software on the iPhone.

“With the success of the iPhone, IT departments received multiple requests to connect the new devices to the corporate network,” said Bob Egner, vice president of product management at Check Point, in the press release. “The diversity of personal equipment in the work place makes the enforcement of security policies difficult. We offer security solutions and single management across the many endpoint devices available to corporate professionals. For the iPhone, Check Point created a simple configuration that provides instant, secure connectivity through VPN-1 gateways.”

With VPN-1 administrators can take advantage of a shared secret password and certificates for all iPhones on the network with specific login credentials for each end user. The feature eliminates the need for IT to create separate gateway authentication keys for each device, easing the deployment of iPhones on the network. Check Point VPN-1 support for the iPhone provides customers with the ability to utilize IP-based encryption for transmitting sensitive and private corporate data.

To give iPhone users secure corporate network access, VPN-1 customers can download and install the latest VPN-1 update at http://www.checkpoint.com/iphone. iPhone users can then configure access to the corporate network using three easy steps – entering basic VPN settings, activating the iPhone VPN, and then entering their password. More detailed documentation is available with the update.

Check Point VPN-1 is the industry’s leading integrated firewall, VPN and intrusion prevention software designed to protect corporate networks of all sizes. VPN-1 enables customers to choose from accelerated security, unified threat management (UTM) security or virtualized security – all with a unified architecture that is managed and maintained from a single console. Used by the Fortune 500, VPN-1 software delivers continuous protection against new attacks through its SmartDefense® services. Learn more about VPN-1 here.

“As more iPhones make their way into the network, Check Point VPN-1 ensures the communication between the devices and servers remains secure,” concluded Egner.

Check Point VPN-1 support for the Apple iPhone is available immediately. Check Point VPN-1 products can be purchased through Check Point’s worldwide network of value-added resellers. To find a Check Point partner, click here.

Source: Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

[Attribution: MacNN. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Joe J." for the heads up.]