SafeMove eliminates Wi-Fi hotspots security threats
(04/10/2007)

According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, the number of people in the UK who work mainly from home doubled between 1997 and 2005 to 2.4 million workers. Supporting the desire for increasing levels of flexibility, the number of workers using multiple locations experienced the strongest growth, accounting for 6 per cent of all workers in 2005.

These statistics reflect a worldwide trend that supports the need for advanced security solutions to safeguard the information of companies and individuals wishing to access private data and applications from a variety of locations.

Public networks, which are often based on 802.11 Wi-Fi standards and known as “Wi-Fi hotspots”, are becoming increasingly common in hotels, airports, trains, cafes and other public places. Whilst they offer convenience to the mobile worker, facilitating access to private corporate networks via the Internet, they also create significant security risks due to the need to temporarily disable or by-pass the VPN in order to login via a portal or make an on-line payment.

Thales has announced a new version of its SafeMove Mobile VPN solution incorporating an Hotspot Login Assistant. The enhancement makes untrusted public networks easier and much safer for users who require remote access to corporate networks.

As worker mobility and flexibility increases, VPN (virtual private network) technology is commonly used to protect the confidentiality and integrity of communications between workers’ PCs and their corporate networks over the Internet. However, as the mobility of workers increases, traditional VPN solutions become inflexible and difficult to use. SafeMove solves this by combining strong VPN technology with Mobile IP technology, which automatically selects the best available network, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi or GPRS, to provide completely seamless mobility.

SafeMove eliminates the security threat that Wi-Fi hotspots present. When SafeMove detects a local hotspot network, the user is directed to the portal and allowed to complete the necessary transaction. Immediately afterwards, and unlike other solutions available on the market, SafeMove is automatically resumed. This process is controlled by a pre-configured set of SafeMove firewall and VPN rules and, as a result, it means that the PC is never left vulnerable to attack from the local network or the Internet.

James Kilazoglou, Vice President and Managing Director of e-Security activities of Thales said: “The innovative Hotspot Login Assistant feature enhances SafeMove, increasing the mobile security for a growing number of remote workers. By enabling anywhere, any time access that is highly secure, SafeMove empowers the mobile workforce to ultimately benefit the business through more efficient and productive working.”