ISA Server 2004 Reaches Beta 2 Milestone

Microsoft's Security Business and Technologies Unit (SBTU) has taken the wraps off Beta 2 of Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004.

According to Redmond officials, the three pillars of ISA Server 2004 are: advanced protection, ease of use and high performance. ISA Server is designed to augment existing security infrastructure, and has been billed by Microsoft as a "must consider" for "any company that puts network security at a premium."

By advanced protection Microsoft means application layer security. This objective is met through the enforcement of policies, as well as the deep-content inspection of protocols and network routing relationships. To further secure the perimeter, the software also features an enterprise firewall.

"Hackers tend to target the point of least resistance in a network, and lately that's been the application layer because network firewalls are not traditionally designed to detect and prevent these types of threats," said Charles Kolodgy, research director at IDC.

To avoid firewall misconfiguration, management tools were simplified and the user interface was enhanced as part of a two pronged approached intended to endow security administrators with a better understanding of the product. Other new features that found their way into ISA Server 2004 are overhauled virtual private networking (VPN) and a Web cache solution.

Microsoft claims that ISA Server 2004 provides high levels of security and application layer protection without suffering a performance hit.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates unveiled ISA Server 2004 -- formerly known by its code-name "Stingray" -- during his opening keynote at COMDEX 2003. Redmond intends to market the solution to businesses of all sizes, with a final release due out by the end of 2004.

Presently, beta kits are available for order from the ISA Server Web site.