The Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall is an integrated IM server and management solution that is powerful, easy to use, and affordable for businesses of all sizes. It will easily and completely identify and manage all IM traffic within your organization.
Eliminate the security, virus, or compliance risks of instant messaging while garnering the communications and productivity benefits for which IM has become an indispensable asset.
How are you Logging and Monitoring Your IM Traffic?
- Most organizations have an Internet usage policy that prohibits IM yet 85% have IM on their networks. If you are not effectively blocking IM, your employees who are using it are putting your network at risk.
- Even if you block IM at the firewall it is still possible that your employees have found a way around it. What are you doing to proactively seek out these security holes in your network?
- Your employees may be using your internal IM service to abuse other employees, steal your intellectual property or are being recruited by former employees through it. You never know when you might be asked for your email and IM logs by the authorities if your organization becomes involved in a sexual or other harassment investigation.
A Powerful, Complete Instant Messaging Solution
The Barracuda IM Firewall combines an internal IM server and client with management and security measures to form the most complete instant messaging solution available. The Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall provides:
- IM traffic identification and logging
- Public IM management
- A private and secure IM server/network
- Keyword identification and reporting
- Access to internal and all public IM networks from a single client
- Secure file transfer
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Most IM products provide either an IM server for secure internal instant messaging within your organization, or IM management capabilities to identify, log, and report on existing IM traffic. The Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall is a secure IM server with a feature rich IM management solution in an appliance format. This two tiered approach provides organizations not just a fix, but a complete solution.
Easy to Setup and Rollout
The Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall is easy to set up and rollout to your users. It has an intuitive user interface for maintenance and monitoring, making it a virtually administration-free solution. User deployment features such as email rollout, allow users to have the client installed and connected in minutes.
System updates are delivered automatically by Barracuda Central, an advanced technology center where engineers work continuously to provide the most effective methods to identify and control public IM traffic and combat ever changing virus variants. Updates are distributed hourly so that you are always protected against the latest threats.
Model Specifications
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| Maximum Users |
200 |
500 |
1,000 |
3,000 |
7,000 |
| Hardware |
220 |
320 |
420 |
620 |
820 |
| Rackmount Chassis |
1U Mini |
1U Mini |
1U Mini |
1U Fullsize |
2U Fullsize |
| Dimensions (inches) |
16.7
x 1.7
x 14 |
16.7
x 1.7
x 14 |
16.7
x 1.7
x 14 |
16.7
x 1.7
x 22.5 |
16.7
x 3.4
x 26.5 |
| Dimensions (cm) |
42.4
x 4.3
x 35.6 |
42.4
x 4.3
x 35.6 |
42.4
x 4.3
x 35.6 |
42.4
x 4.3
x 57.1 |
42.4
x 8.9
x 67.3 |
| Weight (lbs) |
17 |
17 |
18 |
35 |
50 |
| Weight (kg) |
7.7 |
7.7 |
8.2 |
15.9 |
22.7 |
| Ethernet |
1x 10/100 |
1x 10/100 |
1x 10/100 |
2x Gigabit |
2x Gigabit |
| Ethernet Passthough** |
1x 10/100 |
1x 10/100 |
1x 10/100 |
1x Gigabit |
1x Gigabit |
| AC Input Current (A) |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
1.8 |
3.5 |
| Redundant Disk Array (RAID) |
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Hot Swap |
| Redundant Power Supply |
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Hot Swap |
| ECC Memory |
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| Features |
220 |
320 |
420 |
620 |
820 |
| Hardened and Secure OS |
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Capture & Manage Public IM
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Internal Secure IM Server/Client
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| Centralized Policy Management |
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Keyword Notification
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| Secure File Transfer |
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Message Disclaimers
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LDAP and Active Directory Support
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| Per User and Group Access Control |
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| Ethernet Bypass Hardware |
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Linked Management
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| Customizable Branding |
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| Pricing Links |
220 |
320 |
420 |
620 |
820 |
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Pricing |
Pricing |
Pricing |
Pricing |
Pricing |
Note: The capacity depends on enviroment and selected options.
**Each ethernet passthrough has two ethernet jacks. |
Key Features
The Barracuda IM Firewall provides IM gateway features allowing simple and rapid installation and management of public IM traffic on a network. Upon installation the Barracuda IM Firewall will begin identifying and logging IM traffic to its internal database for future viewing or auditing.
Control of public IM services such as AOL, Yahoo, and MSN has become essential in order to maintain network security, message confidentiality, and protection against viruses. The Barracuda IM Firewall provides the ability to log or block public IM services, scan public IM traffic for viruses, and manage the identities of public IM users on your network.
Instant Messaging Server
Integrated instant messaging server provides companies with a secure internal IM network. Internal messages need never leave the corporate network, and are protected by industry leading 256bit encryption. Our Barracuda IM Client is easy to install and deploy and extremely user friendly, making user adaptation a breeze.
Security
The Barracuda IM Firewall offers the highest level of message encryption available on any IM product. Our 256bit message encryption ensures that your corporate messages remain private as long as you are using the Barracuda IM Client. Our client provides users security even outside their corporate network from anywhere on the internet.
Logging & Reporting
With the Barracuda IM Firewall all instant messaging traffic on your network is logged, including group chat sessions and file transfers. All logs are stored on the appliance and can be easily backed up or exported.
Centralized Administration
The Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall features an easy-to-use Web interface allowing for easy and cost effective administration of the appliance. The Web interface allows you to define, manage and control corporate IM policies from one central place.
- Barracuda Energize Updates
A team of security engineers at Barracuda Central continuously monitors the Internet for trends in IM and virus attacks. As they detect trends, updates are created for the Barracuda IM Firewall. The Barracuda IM Firewall is then automatically updated with new IM rules, Public IM IP address ranges and ports, and virus definitions. These updates require zero administration and ensure that your network has comprehensive and accurate protection.
- Logs and Graphical Reports System
Administrators can view logs or generate graphical reports to provide visibility within the organization. The Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall can provide information on IM conversations, public IM access, file transfers, presence, viruses, and more.
- No Per User Charges
Barracuda Instant Messaging Firewall pricing is simple. Each of the Barracuda IM Firewalls is designed to handle an approximate number of users. The Barracuda IM Firewall includes a robust feature set at one fixed price with no per user charges. This means the system administrator no longer has to worry about keeping track of new accounts.
LDAP Integration
The Barracuda IM Firewall integrates seamlessly with any LDAP compliant directory servers including Microsoft Active Directory, Novell eDirectory, Lotus Domino, and Open LDAP. Once the directory server is integrated, the Barracuda IM Firewall can manage policies using LDAP users and groups.
Rollout Tools
Unlike other client side technologies, rolling out and installing client side software is simple. Administrators can chose to roll the client out to users via an email containing the download link, install instructions and the users username and password. Installation is as simple a clicking next, next, and finish.
The zero configuration installer automatically knows the name of the server to which that user will connect. Additionally, contact lists can be automatically populated using the Barracuda Roster Push tool, providing administrators the ability to populate their users’ contact lists before first log on, or when an employee joins or leaves the organization.
Keyword Tools
Keyword notification and content management tools ensure that your users are adhering to your internal policies and government compliance regulations. Keywords, phrases, and regular expressions can be identified, removed, or blocked entirely within IM conversations. If a policy violation is committed, the appropriate parties can be notified via email or IM. All policy violations are logged and noted.
Deployment Configurations
The Standard deployment configuration of the Barracuda IM Firewall consists of simply placing the appliance on your network between your Internet Firewall and your LAN, and assigning an IP address for access and configuration via the Barracuda Web-based administration interface.
Mirrored Port Deployment Configuration
If an inline deployment is not an option for your network, the Barracuda IM Firewall can be configured to listen to IM traffic on a mirrored port from your switch. All services work in this mode except any public IM blocking features since a mirrored port is read only. Since both the Barracuda IM Firewall and the Barracuda Web Filter sit inline, the mirrored port deployment is common when used with a Barracuda Web Filter.
Server Only Deployment Configuration
When using only the IM server of the Barracuda IM Firewall, the product may be installed anywhere on the network. Typically the server will be placed in a DMZ for access by remote users and any other Barracuda IM Firewalls with which secure communication is desired. For this type of deployment, it is recommended that the public IM networks are blocked either by the corporate firewall or by the Barracuda Web Filter.
IM Firewall Documentation
DataSheets
Guides:
IM Firewall Web Admin Screenshots
The following screenshots illustrate the Web administration interface of the IM Firewall.
Basic > Status
IM Statistics
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Logging / Reporting > Message Logs
Logs
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Logging / Reporting > File Transfer Log
File transfer logs
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Logging / Reporting > User Reports
User Reports
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User > User Rollout
User Rollout
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Domains > Edit LDAP
LDAP Configuration
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Policy > Third Party Network Access
Per user/group Public IM Access
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Policy > Content Filtering
Keyword Filtering/Blocking
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Barracuda IM Client GUI
The Barracuda IM Client
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