Firewall signs TippingPoint

Security-focused distributor Firewall Systems has added 3Com-owned intrusion prevention product specialist TippingPoint to its vendor ranks.

Firewall is TippingPoint's first Australian distributor. It is believed that the company also considered signing with 3Com distributors LAN Systems and Ingram Micro.

Nick Verykios, marketing director at Firewall Systems, said the big vendors are now realising that security is a specialist market, due to the fact that it's a "completely different language".

"Security is compliance-driven, it's about making sure everything keeps going," he said.

TippingPoint's intrusion prevention systems block worms, viruses, Trojans, denial of service attacks, VoIP threats and spyware.

These products would exist within Firewall's 'Fireproof' and 'Fireblanket' advanced hardware replacement and professional services offerings, Verykios said. "These guys [TippingPoint] are the market leaders and they do it right," he said.

TippingPoint products look at network behaviour to assess potential attacks rather than rely just on signatures. "It's a high-end technology but once it's in the customer site, it's just plug and play," he said.

Still, the products represented a big services play for resellers. The vendor had also delivered a 'bidding' system and deal registration capability that allows resellers to qualify deals preventing 'drive-bys', Verykios said.