Merilus Crusoe-based FireCard Specs
One of
the most unique adaptations of Transmeta's Crusoe processor to surface at COMDEX
2000
is the Merilus FireCard Enterprise Edition. The
FireCard is the first firewall on a PCI card, and uses a Crusoe processor
to run the embedded application independent of the hosts operating system, only drawing
power from the PCI slot. In other words, the firewall system software
(Gateway Guardian) runs on a stripped down embedded Linux OS
a la Crusoe TM3200 - "a box within a box" so to speak.
TransmetaZone attended the unveiling of the
FireCard at COMDEX, which was presented by CEO Danna Epp. "We've been
working with the Transmeta team to take advantage of the Crusoe chip
architecture in the development of several new products we have underway". "The
characteristics of the processor allow us to embed our new solid state security
devices into existing computer systems without worry of overheating. Add to that
the flexibility of optimizing the processor through code morphing
software".
The FireCard has taken the title of "first to use Crusoe
in an embedded application". In terms of specs the card touts some very
impressive features in addition to routing, virtual
private networking, real-time stats, and integration with existing firewall technology;
- VPN Server hosting multiple tunnels across the office or the internet
- Active alerting of intrusion attempts, denial of
service attacks, authentication failures and hardware failures by email or pager
- Live firewall configuration and monitoring
- Port stealthing which will conceal the firewall from
view on the web.
- Progressive firewall auto-blocking
- Bandwidth management, monitoring and accounting
- Automatic redundant failover in a case of system failure to a standby firewall
- Out of band remote administration enables admins to
dial-in to the FireCard (it has an onboard modem and PSTN connection) and make adjustments in the event of a DOS attack.
-
Office
networking
Using its own "Gateway Guardian" software
the firewall card enables administrators several features perfect for
this Napster-loving world of ours. If so inclined, admins can manage the amount
of bandwidth available to each user on
a network (it can handle 500-1000 connections) for specific areas like Web, Email,
FTP, etc. So, if you've ever wanted to cut down on how much your fellow co-workers
are using Napster each day.... ;-)
The FireCard Enterprise Edition is expected to hit the
retail market sometime Q1 2001 for about $1200 US. Merilus is a three year
old company based out of British Columbia which develops internet security
products and software. Their products are targeted towards the SME
(small-to-medium enterprise) market and are designed to be easy to operate.
Merilus has recently signed an agreement with Golden Soil Inc (OTCBB: GDSI), which
will acquire 100% of the company.
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