WatchGuard Technologies Inc. has equipped its firewalls with integrated anti-malware software from Bitdefender.
Under an alliance agreement unveiled today, Seattle-based WatchGuard and Bucharest-based Bitdefender will seek to arm small and midsize businesses to block viruses, trojans, ransomware, and other threats at the network perimeter, before they can endanger servers housing sensitive or regulated data.
“We are pleased to announce this licensing agreement with WatchGuard,” said Jose Lopez, Bitdefender’s vice president for technology licensing and service providers, in prepared remarks. “Bitdefender-enabled WatchGuard devices will help safeguard SMB customers with best-in-class security that is easy to deploy and manage.”
Bitdefender’s anti-malware solution, which the vendor custom-developed specifically for use with WatchGuard hardware, is available immediately as a free component in all of WatchGuard’s security bundles, and is compatible with all of the vendor’s current-generation physical and virtual Firebox appliances. Customers with previously purchased and deployed Firebox hardware can add the Bitdefender software as an upgrade.
“Bitdefender has consistently led independent, global anti-malware protection tests, enabling us through a responsive partnership to deliver a comprehensive, integrated solution that meets all our user requirements across our entire product offering,” said Ben Oster, WatchGuard’s technology alliance product manager, in a press statement. “The implementation of Bitdefender’s technology in our appliances strengthens our value to customers with a solution that keeps them one step ahead of advanced threats.”
WatchGuard made headlines most recently last month with the announcement that the Threat Detection and Response service it launched in January now protects endpoints as well as devices behind the firewall.
