Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.'s InterSpect 610 provides an Internal Security Gateway—an intrusion protection system designed to protect networks from exploits entering the network via laptops and mobile devices. However, although the appliance admirably protects the network core from attacks, its overall efficacy depends heavily on the user's network architecture.

In eWEEK Labs' tests, the InterSpect appliance effectively segmented the LAN and filtered exploitable LAN protocols for worms and exploits. Deployed between the workgroup switch and the aggregation switch in the network core, the InterSpect Stateful Inspection and Application Intelligence engines repel threats that get to the network behind perimeter defenses via mobile devices.

However, if code from an infected system infiltrates the network, the InterSpect cannot protect the rest of the segment from flash worms propagating via LAN protocols—a potential problem for companies with relatively flat network structures.

The InterSpect provides some HTTP and FTP defenses, but protection for other Internet protocols is limited; Check Point presumes that these protocols will be effectively trapped by other layers of network defense.

The InterSpect 610 started shipping in January and includes a one-year SmartDefense subscription in the base price of $36,000.

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