Forefront Team Blog : Internet Security & Acceleration Server

David Cross on TMG

Forefront Blogger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:51:00 GMT

For more about Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010, check out David Cross' blog on the Microsoft Because It's Everybody's Business site. As product unit manager, David oversaw the development and release of TMG. He discussed the solution in-depth in a TechNet Edge video here, too.

And there's a good Edge video here about migrating from ISA 2006 to TMG.

New Forefront enterprise security solutions for safe, productive web surfing and remote access

Forefront Blogger — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:00:00 GMT

Following the last month’s launch of Forefront Protection for Exchange, today we are announcing more progress for our Business Ready Security strategy with the release of two new solutions: Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 (TMG) and Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010 (UAG.)

These solutions address two key endpoint security challenges. TMG, available for evaluation and purchase now, helps companies provide safe employee web browsing. UAG, which will release to manufacturing in mid December and be generally available shortly thereafter, enables organizations to give employees (and trusted partners and vendors) secure remote access to corporate resources.

Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010

Today’s information workers require web access to do their jobs, but web-based threats continue to rise. For example, the recent Microsoft Security Intelligence Report indicated that phishing rose significantly in the first half of 2009, quadrupling in May, and that social networking sites accounted for 76% of all phishing impressions. Securing web use is traditionally challenging for security administrators. Multiple products and vendors create high costs and management difficulty through “security sprawl.”

TMG is a secure web gateway that enables safe employee web use through comprehensive protection against malware, malicious web sites and vulnerabilities. Building on its predecessor, ISA Server 2006, TMG provides new URL filtering, anti-malware, and intrusion-prevention technologies to protect businesses against the latest web-based threats. These technologies are integrated with core network protection features such as firewall and VPN to create a unified, easy-to-manage gateway.

One of the most exciting features of TMG is its use of Microsoft Reputation Services – a new cloud-based system hosted by Microsoft which maintains a centralized database of 45 million (and growing!) web domains and billions of web pages to help customers identify and block malicious web sites. It pulls data from multiple sources, such as Hotmail, the same technology that powers SmartScreen in Internet Explorer 8, the Windows Live Security Platform, and more than 10 partners, such as Brightcloud, M8e6 and FutureSoft. The TMG/ISA blog provides a great overview of TMG and its URL filtering capabilities.

Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010

Building on its predecessor, Intelligent Application Gateway, UAG enables remote access via managed and unmanaged PCs and mobile devices. Integrating a deep understanding of applications, the health state of end user devices, and the user’s identity – UAG enforces granular access controls, ensures security, and reduces management costs and complexity.

While UAG provides a variety of connectivity options such web publishing and SSL VPN tunnels, one of the best new features is UAG’s support and enhancements for Windows DirectAccess (DA). DA is the future of remote access allowing for seamless, always-on connectivity. Always-on keeps users happy as they are continually productive, but it also keeps administrators content as users are “always-managed.” UAG helps make DA deployments simpler, more extensible and easier to scale.

Follow Forefront on Twitter

Forefront Blogger — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:11:00 GMT

If you are a Twitter fan, be sure to follow us at http://twitter.com/MS_Forefront ! Our own John "JG" Chirapurath, senior director in the MSFT Identity and Security Business Group, is leading the Forefront Tweet charge in his typically pithy way. Come join the conversation about all things identity and security.

Joel Sider

Action by Dec 1 - keep your protection current!

Forefront Blogger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:08:00 GMT

A reminder from the Forefront Server Security blog.

As we announced on July 1, 2009, Microsoft is revising its engine mix on Dec. 1, 2009 for the Forefront and Antigen products. This change will allow customers to utilize a set of engines that help optimize detection, while also allowing us to invest in new areas for increasing overall protection for customers.

Antimalware Protection

The AhnLab, CA, and Sophos engines will be retired on Dec. 1, 2009. After December 1^st, customers will not receive any updates for these retired engines. In order to make sure your Antigen and Forefront products continue to scan efficiently and effectively for malware, any customers running the AhnLab, CA, or Sophos engines must DISABLE these engines before Dec. 1, 2009 and select from the new set of five engines – Authentium, Kaspersky, Microsoft, Norman, and VirusBuster.

SPECIAL NOTE: Antigen for SharePoint 8.0 and Antigen for Instant Messaging 8.0 customers – In order to gain access to the new engine set and provide optimal protection for your messaging and collaboration environments, please download the Service Pack 1 releases of these products on the MVLS or VLSC site prior to Dec. 1, 2009. The updates for the new engine set will use a new update infrastructure as of Dec. 31, 2009 – the Service Pack 1 releases will allow you to continue to receive updates correctly from their new location.

For more information about Service Pack 1 for Antigen for SharePoint and Antigen for IM, see the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975850/

- SPECIAL NOTE: Antigen for Exchange 8.0 and Antigen for SMTP Gateways 8.0 customers –These products will end of life on Dec. 31, 2009. Customers must upgrade to Antigen 9.0 SP2 for Exchange before this date, as the product will no longer continue to receive anti-malware updates starting Jan. 1, 2010. With the retirement of the CA, Sophos, and AhnLab engines on Dec. 1, customers running Antigen for Exchange 8.0 or Antigen SMTP Gateways 8.0 will only be protected by the Norman engine. For customers who need to continue using this product between Dec. 1, 2009 and the end-of-life date of Dec. 31, 2009, please contact Forefront Contract Administration for access to the revised engine set.

For more information on upgrading your Antigen for Exchange 8.0 or Antigen for SMTP Gateways 8.0 to Antigen 9.0, see the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932396/

Antispam Protection

One of the most important changes in our engine revision strategy is moving to the Cloudmark antispam engine*, which provides 99%+ detection rate and less than 1 in 250,000 false positives (West Coast Labs).

The Mail-Filters SpamCure antispam engine will be retired on Dec. 1, 2009. Customers using Antigen products for antispam protection must upgrade to the latest service pack releases listed below BEFORE DEC. 1, 2009 to maintain their antispam defenses. This is the only way to gain access to the new Cloudmark engine. The service packs can be accessed on the Microsoft MVLS and VLSC sites:

- Antigen for Exchange Server with Antigen Spam Manager 9.0 with SP2

- Antigen for SMTP Gateways with Antigen Spam Manager 9.0 with SP2

For more information on the engine revision strategy, see the Antimalware Engine Notifications and Developments Web page or contact Forefront Contract Administration . Again, we strongly urge all customers to update to the newest service packs before Dec. 1, 2009 to get the full protection benefits of the Forefront and Antigen server products.

*Please note: Customers using Forefront Security for Exchange Server will get access to the Cloudmark engine in the next version release – Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server – scheduled to be available in Q4 CY09.

Brita Jenquin

Sr. Product Manager

Schedule and Strategy Update for Forefront Endpoint Protection

Forefront Blogger — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Today we are announcing a schedule and strategy update for Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010, a component of the upcoming Forefront Protection Suite (previously codenamed “Stirling.”)

We are delaying the release Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 - anti-malware for Windows desktops and servers - until the second half of 2010. Based on customer feedback and market trends, we have made the strategic decision to build Forefront Endpoint Protection (FEP) on System Center Configuration Manager, Microsoft’s solution to comprehensively assess, deploy, and update servers, clients, and devices. This approach better aligns our customers’ client management and security infrastructure, helping simplify deployment and reduce costs.

We are confident this is the right decision for our customers. In the interim, we will continue to offer our current Forefront Client Security (FCS) solution, which supports and protects both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. We are developing the necessary tools and guidance to facilitate the future upgrade from Forefront Client Security to Forefront Endpoint Protection and will help customers with the migration process.

We also remain committed to providing integrated management for the Forefront Protection Suite. We will release Forefront Protection Manager in the first half of 2010, as scheduled, providing multi-server management for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server and Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint. We will provide information about endpoint security management in Forefront Protection Manager at a later time.

We are on track to release all other Forefront products on schedule, as part of our Business Ready Security strategy:

o Fourth quarter 2009: Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server, Forefront Online Protection for Exchange, Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 and Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010

o First half 2010: Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint, Forefront Identity Manager 2010.

The Forefront team

Steve Ballmer on The New Efficiency

Forefront Blogger — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:56:00 GMT

Making business decisions regarding IT investment is tougher than ever. To help, today Microsoft hosted a special VIP Business Leadership Roundtable event. CEO Steve Ballmer and moderator Robert Youngjohns, President of the Microsoft US Subsidiary, discussed major trends in the new role of technology in the workplace. Ballmer and Youngjohns were joined by a panel of early adopter customers representing key industries like automotive, hospitality, transportation and IT. Attendees got a close look at how real companies are making IT investments across the desktop, server, network and beyond.

How IT needs to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated users
The ever more mobile and distributed workforce, and
The impact of greater industry regulations and ongoing threats to data.

Forefront identity and security solutions, and our Business Ready Security strategy, are core parts of the way Microsoft is helping customers tackle these issues. You can view highlights of today's event and get lots of info on the range of Microsoft IT solutions - including a Business Ready Security overview, Secure Messaging, Secure Collaboration, Identity and Access Management and Information Protection at www.TheNewEfficiency.com

Business Ready Security news at WPC

Forefront Blogger — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:01:00 GMT

This week in New Orleans Microsoft is hosting its annual Worldwide Partner Conference. We made several announcements today at the conference about our identity and security solutions. This news is part of our Business Ready Security strategy to help both partners and customers 1) protect everywhere and access anywhere, 2) integrate and extend security across the enterprise, and 3) simplify the security experience and manage compliance

Official names and pricing for “Stirling”

Forefront codename “Stirling” - the next generation of the Forefront Security Suite for integrated, comprehensive protection across endpoints, servers and the edge – will be officially known as Forefront Protection Suite (FPS).

FPS will include the products in the current suite, plus the Forefront Protection Manager (formerly known as the “Stirling” management console) and the Forefront Threat Management Gateway Web Security Service.

FPS pricing will remain the same as the current Forefront Security Suite and all of the component solutions will continue to be licensed on a subscription basis. They will also be available independently, with Forefront Protection Manager included. (Note that the Forefront Threat Management Gateway license is sold separately on a per processor basis.)

At WPC we are also announcing the following new product solution names:

· Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 - current version is Forefront Client Security

· Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server - current version is Forefront Security for Exchange Server

· Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint - current version is Forefront Security for SharePoint

· Forefront Online Protection for Exchange - currently called Forefront Online Security for Exchange

· Forefront Threat Management Gateway Web Security Service - the next generation of ISA Server 2006.

The new FPS solutions are currently in beta and final versions will ship over the course of the latter half of 2009 and the first half of 2010.

Public beta 2 of Forefront Unified Access Gateway

Forefront Unified Access Gateway beta 2 is available for download at www.microsoft.com/forefront. UAG provides secure, virtually anywhere access to messaging, collaboration and other applications, increasing productivity and policy compliance. UAG also extends the benefits of Windows DirectAccess across the enterprise, enhancing scalability, deployment and management.

Official name for “Geneva”

The three components of Microsoft “Geneva” – the upcoming open platform providing simplified user access and single sign-on for cloud and on-premises applications – have the following names:

· Active Directory Federation Services – formerly known as “Geneva” Server

· Windows Identity Foundation – formerly known as “Geneva” Framework

· Windows Cardspace – same as current version

Partner opportunities

At WPC partners will learn about how the solutions above offer tremendous opportunity to better meet the identity and security needs of customers...and to build their own businesses. Since announcing a $75 million investment in our partner ecosystem at WPC last year, we have seen very strong partner development and growth.

For example, we have seen a 50% increase in participation in the Security Software Advisors (SSA) program, which offers fees to partners who influence deployment. The Security Solutions Competency, which enables partners to differentiate themselves as experts, is one of the fastest growing competencies in Microsoft’s history and in the last year grew 46% in participation. This year we anticipate quadrupling the number of identity and security partners we support with training, marketing and customer engagement.

Server & Tools Business Exec discusses state of IT, answers your questions on June 23

Forefront Blogger — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:15:00 GMT

Are you interested in hearing about how other IT pros are reacting to economic conditions and where they’re investing (particularly security?)

Do you have questions about Microsoft’s efforts to help IT be more cost effective and deliver new solutions to business?

Is there a connection between virtualization and cloud computing?

On Tuesday, June 23rd from 10:30am – 11:00am (PDT), join a teleconference with Bob Kelly, corporate VP of Infrastructure Server Marketing. Bob will talk about the state of IT within the context of results from a new Harris Interactive study of 1,200 IT professionals from the U.S., United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. The study was commissioned by Microsoft’s Server & Tools Business. There will be time for your questions following the brief presentation. Submit questions over the phone or you can submit them at any time leading up to or during the teleconference by tweeting with the Twitter hashtag, #qs4ms. If you are interested in attending, please REGISTER NOW. Once you open the invite box, you can save and close to your calendar.

Forefront Threat Management Gateway Beta 3 – Ready for Download!

Forefront Blogger — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:27:00 GMT

Forefront Threat Management Gateway Beta 3 – the last planned beta – is now available to the public for download and evaluation. This marks a big step towards providing a complete Web security solution with the first public preview of our URL filtering capabilities. I want to pose a few questions and answers about where Forefront TMG is going.

So, what makes our URL filtering special? For most companies, there is a physical limit on URL categorization and coverage because it is a manual process. Forefront TMG is leveraging the Microsoft Reputation Services to expand beyond what one company can provide. Instead, MRS aggregates URLs from multiple sources – including but not limited to iFilter, BrightCloud and Marshall8e6 – and determines which is most accurate for categorization. This gives Forefront TMG customers access to URLs from multiple trusted sources but also gives them confidence that the URLs will be accurate categorized. This enables Forefront TMG to expand well beyond where it could if Microsoft only developed its own URL data set, not unlike the added protection benefits of Forefront Security with multiple AV engines.

Why do you want Forefront TMG if you already have URL filtering? Most companies today have some sort of URL filtering. It may be a standalone product plugged into ISA or into a firewall or come as part of a unified threat management product. These solutions represent a compromise. With the first, you give up simplicity of a single vendor solution. With the second, you give up the richness you get from most standalone URL filtering products.

Forefront TMG represents the best of both worlds. It unifies a Web access gateway with URL filtering and antimalware so that you gain the efficiency of a single vendor but also provides functionality well beyond that found in UTMs designed as multi-purpose generic devices. Instead, it can be thought of as “best-of-need”. It provides the security you need with the simplicity you want.

You can find Forefront TMG Beta 3 here.

Bill Jensen

Senior Product Manager

Trial and win!

Forefront Blogger — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:36:00 GMT

Check out the Forefront Trial Download Sweepstakes:

"Don’t miss the chance to win one of three $10,000 Grand Prize server systems for your home, a D-Link DNS-232 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure, or a $50 Best Buy gift card instantly!

Now, through June 30, 2009, every time you download a different Microsoft Forefront trial software product, you’ll help keep your business safe and have a chance to win big in the Microsoft Forefront Trial Download Sweepstakes."

Self-Service Online HR to Save MOD Millions of Pounds Over 10 Years with

Forefront Blogger — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:26:00 GMT

The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) is providing secure access to 10,000 “orphaned users” who work remotely and had no means of accessing internal administrative services. MOD worked with CapGemeni and is using Microsoft identity and security solutions, such as Identity Lifecycle Manager (next version to be called Forefront Identity Manager), ISA Server (next version Forefront Threat Management Gateway) and Intelligent Application Gateway 2007.

Ministry of Defence advisor to the CIO David Longhurst says: “With all our HR services now online, there will be savings in the back office which could amount to many millions of pounds over 10 years. The savings will far outweigh the cost of the implementation.”

Enabling productivity, saving money. Sounds like Business Ready Security. Read the MOD case study here.

Business Ready Security webcasts

Forefront Blogger — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:25:00 GMT

Register here for a new series of webcasts on the entire lineup of Forefront products supporting the Business Ready Security strategy. Starting tomorrow, webcast topics will include: Forefront Identity Manager, the Forefront "Stirling" security suite and component solutions, Forefront Security for Office Communications Server, Active Directory Rights Management Services, "Geneva," and more.

Forefront "Stirling" beta 2

Forefront Blogger — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:53:00 GMT

Last week, as part of introducing the Business Ready Security strategy, we publicly released beta 2 of Forefront codename "Stirling.".

“Stirling” is an integrated security suite that delivers comprehensive protection across endpoint, application servers, and the edge. It also integrates with existing infrastructure software, such as Active Directory, System Center, and Network Access Protection, for better protection and reduced complexity.

Go here to download and evaluate with trial software or pre-configured virtual machines. Below is a video demo worth watching, too. Stay tuned for more info on "Stirling," such as the Security Assessment Sharing capabilities that enable interoperability with partner solutions.

The analysts weigh in

Forefront Blogger — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:46:00 GMT

As part of last week's introduction of our Business Ready Security strategy, we posted several videos of industry analysts John Olstik of the Enterprise Strategy Group and Scott Crawford of Enterprise Management Associates discussing security issues. One is below, but visit this page to view the rest.

The Enterprise Strategy Group also wrote a paper, called "Business Enablement Demands Tight Identity and Security Integration."

Perspectives on Security: Business-ready Security

Award-winning solutions

Forefront Blogger — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:34:00 GMT

Today Info Security Products Guide, a leading publication on security-related products and technologies, announced the winners of the 2009 Global Excellence Awards. Three Microsoft solutions took first place in the following award categories:

Category: Document Protection. Winner: Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint

Category: Firewall Solution. Winner: Microsoft Internet Security and acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 (next version called Forefront Threat Management Gateway)

Category: Identity Management Solution. Winner: Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 (next version called Forefront Identity Manager)