Catbird Security (www.catbird.com), provider of the industry’s only fully-hosted, enterprise-class, managed security platform and developer of the Catbird V-Agent™ security appliance, today announced the launch of Pocket V-Agent, the first pocket-sized comprehensive security solution. Pocket V-Agent is the simplest path to a fully-hosted, thorough network security assessment and enterprise-grade audit in the marketplace today. Ideal for security consultants, auditors and managed security providers, Pocket V-Agent runs from a USB thumb-drive and delivers remote, comprehensive network security assessments with single-click installation and zero additional hardware. By simply connecting the Pocket V-Agent into any PC, the user instantly has a certified virtual security appliance capable of network monitoring for security assessment, inspection, and data protection.
Pocket V-Agent combines Catbird’s unique security-as-a-service architecture with VMware’s Pocket ACE® virtual machine player. The Pocket ACE technology automatically detects the OS platform and launches the Catbird V-Agent without any need for human intervention.
"Pocket V-Agent challenges established industry assumptions about enterprise-class security. To have this much protection in such a compact form factor is a ground-breaking step," said Michael Berman, Catbird CTO. "At Catbird, we have demonstrated for years that the real value of a security offering is locked in the service, not the hardware. Pocket V-agent makes this case more strongly than ever. Now, security analysis and protection can be performed instantly from anywhere, at any time, with complete effectiveness – and real convenience – independent of hardware."
Pocket V-Agent offers valuable, unique features to IT security professionals on many levels. For the novice or non-security business professional, it allows for extremely easy deployment, requiring only the insertion of a USB memory stick. For auditors, instant data on the security posture of a network or data center is as portable and as accessible as a USB stick in a pocket. For security and IT administrators, Pocket V-Agent reduces the cost of periodic or continuous network protection, as any existing hardware can be immediately converted into a sophisticated security appliance which traditionally would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Pocket V-Agent provides real-time data on vulnerabilities; IPS/IDS; policy compliance and unauthorized user monitoring, saving customers from the financial, reputational, data and productivity losses resulting from security breaches. Pocket V-Agent can monitor both physical and virtual networks.
The Pocket V-Agent is free and licensed with Catbird’s monthly Security As A Service, available from any authorized Catbird partner.
Pocket V-Agent is the pocket-sized version of the Catbird V-Agent virtual appliance, the first comprehensive security solution for virtual networks which was launched by the company in June 2007. V-Agent is known for delivering broad hacker protection to virtual networks, and for the first time enabling rogue virtual-device monitoring, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), security compliance, and vulnerability monitoring to servers running multiple virtual machines based on VMware. It monitors virtual segments within a host as well as physical network segments connected to the host.
The VMware-certified Catbird V-Agent virtual appliance delivers the operational flexibility that is a hallmark of virtual infrastructure. Unlike traditional host-based solutions, stateful appliances and proprietary hardware solutions, Catbird’s unique stateless "in-the-cloud" architecture is 100% plug-and-play for both physical and virtual environments.
More information about Pocket V-Agent, Catbird’s V-Agent, and Catbird can be found at the company’s website, www.catbird.com.