Blue Coat Systems has introduced the Blue Coat ProxyOne appliance.  The ProxyOne appliance brings the same enterprise-class Web security used by 88 percent of the FORTUNE Global 500 to organizations that require a low-touch solution at an affordable price point.

For organizations with limited IT resources, the growing use of social media, combined with the rapid evolution of Web-based threats, presents a significant risk.  In 2010, 70 percent of small and medium-sized businesses were using social media tools.  According to Panda Security, 30 percent of those businesses reported malware infections spread via social networks.  Traditional network security solutions adopted by these businesses, such as firewalls and desktop anti-virus software, cannot keep pace with these increasingly sophisticated Web-based threats.  Instead, comprehensive protection requires a Web security defense to complement these traditional defenses.  

“The shift in business to the Web has exposed small and large businesses alike to greater risk, yet smaller businesses often lack the financial and IT resources to protect their users, making them more vulnerable to rapidly evolving Web-based threats,” said Lawrence Orans, research director at Gartner.  “These smaller businesses need the same type of Web security that is commonly found in large enterprises but in a solution that is easy to manage, affordable and doesn’t require them to be security experts.” 

The Blue Coat ProxyOne appliance integrates Web filtering, inline malware and anti-virus scanning and on-box reporting to enable safer use of Web 2.0 applications.  To provide protection from the latest threats without requiring Web security expertise, ProxyOne appliances can be deployed and configured in six steps by an IT generalist.  They also include pre-configured policies and deliver automatic software upgrades and immediate security updates. 

Blue Coat ProxyOne appliances are now available.  Pricing for the first year starts at $8,999 for 100 users, which includes the appliance, software licenses, automatic security updates and 24X7 support. The appliance can scale to support up to 2,000 users.