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2M500 Dashboard Lets IT Staff Keep an Eye on Network Activity
The M500 offers an intuitive browser-based dashboard that makes it easy to ascertain what is occurring throughout the network. A quick glance demonstrates top application activity, top destinations, top client activity and policies being executed. What’s more, administrators can quickly drill down into other informative areas to troubleshoot traffic or better understand traffic patterns.
3M500 Supports Centralized Management of Large Networks
The M500 is a member of the WatchGuard family of products that are managed via a centralized system. Each M500 has integrated controls that allow it to become part of a larger, centralized management structure, offering support for administrators looking to unify the control of several devices at various locations, such as branch offices and remote sites.
4The Appliance Provides Protection Against Port Probes, ICMP Attacks
Out of the box, the M500 offers the ability to quickly take on some security roles. The device provides the capability to define or modify default packet handling rules, so that once deployed it can immediately offer protection against the most common forms of attack, such as port probes, ICMP attacks and so forth.
5FireWatch Displays Graphical View of Network Activity
6FireWatch Drills Down Into Traffic Details
7Network Interfaces Dialog Simplifies Device Setup
8Defining Policies for How the Network Handles Applications
One of the most powerful aspects of the M500 is the ability to define detailed policies for how applications are dealt with. The device comes with thousands of predefined applications and allows administrators to add more. Administrators can then define policies for how a user can interact with a particular application, helping to secure the traffic around that application and to block unauthorized applications with ease.
9An Intuitive Interface Enables Policy Definition
Policy definition proved quite straightforward by using an intuitive interface that separates policy elements via tabs. From one screen, administrators can drill down into policy-based controls for applications, traffic, proxies and even scheduling when a policy is active. Other critical elements, such as intrusion prevention and logging, can be enabled with just a simple click.
10M500 Can Detect Threats Hidden in Encrypted HTTPS Traffic
One of the M500’s key features is the ability to deal with SSL traffic from HTTPS-based connections. The device can decode encrypted HTTPS traffic and detect any threats hidden within. An HTTPS-proxy defined policy makes that possible and offers varying levels of scanning, as well as certificate verification. Administrators can easily define what actions should be taken with encrypted traffic to fine-tune both performance and throughput based upon need.
11Polices Are Compiled Into a List for Easy Management
12M500 Also Enforces Content Filtering
13M500 Employs Subscription Model to Implement Security Features
14The Appliance Provides an Overview of System Activity
The M500 includes real-time capabilities that offer an interactive view of what is occurring on the device. The traffic management screen shows active traffic, loads and connections (source and destination). Administrators can drill down, filter or sort traffic reporting via a variety of methods, making forensics chores a little easier to deal with.