The aXs GUARD Gatekeeper from VASCO is a full-function UTM appliance. It has functionality for keeping internet viruses and worms from infecting the enterprise, full web content filtering and monitoring, and protection for the network against outside attacks with firewall and IPS. However, where this product really shines is its mail management feature set. It has a robust spam filter filtering email through two independent anti-virus filters one supported by ClamAV and the other from Trend Micro.
This appliance is not a simple install and the configuration is manual with no help from wizards. All configuration and management is done using the web GUI, which is confusing and awkward to use. We found ourselves many times going in circles trying to get connectivity configured.
However, this product is capable of a high level of policy granularity. Policies can be configured as broad or as narrow as needed and can contain any number of combinations of various users and groups. This appliance also can tie in with VASCO's multifactor authentication modules to provide solid authentication security both inside and outside of the enterprise.
Documentation is in the form of a getting-started guide in hard-copy format. Several other PDF manuals are available through a link on the appliance's GUI. The getting-started guide illustrates the initial configuration steps and setting-up zones. Of the other guides, we found the most important to be an administrator guide. This provides a great amount of detail for advanced configuration.
VASCO offers a one-year hardware warranty and three months of updates free in the purchase price. They also offer support contract options, including phone technical support. There is also a small support area on the website, which includes a FAQ section.
Pricing largely depends on performance category and active modules, so at a price starting at around $1,000, we find the aXs GUARD Gatekeeper to be an average value for the money.
While it does offer some nice features, we found it difficult and awkward to use at times, and support for the product is average with few options.
This appliance is not a simple install and the configuration is manual with no help from wizards. All configuration and management is done using the web GUI, which is confusing and awkward to use. We found ourselves many times going in circles trying to get connectivity configured.
However, this product is capable of a high level of policy granularity. Policies can be configured as broad or as narrow as needed and can contain any number of combinations of various users and groups. This appliance also can tie in with VASCO's multifactor authentication modules to provide solid authentication security both inside and outside of the enterprise.
Documentation is in the form of a getting-started guide in hard-copy format. Several other PDF manuals are available through a link on the appliance's GUI. The getting-started guide illustrates the initial configuration steps and setting-up zones. Of the other guides, we found the most important to be an administrator guide. This provides a great amount of detail for advanced configuration.
VASCO offers a one-year hardware warranty and three months of updates free in the purchase price. They also offer support contract options, including phone technical support. There is also a small support area on the website, which includes a FAQ section.
Pricing largely depends on performance category and active modules, so at a price starting at around $1,000, we find the aXs GUARD Gatekeeper to be an average value for the money.
While it does offer some nice features, we found it difficult and awkward to use at times, and support for the product is average with few options.
