Microsoft Releases Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010

Microsoft Releases Its Next Generation Endpoint Security Solution for Businesses

Microsoft has released Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 (FEP), the next generation of its Endpoint Security solution which provides antimalware protection for Windows based desktop and server operating systems.

Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 is deployed, configured, managed, updated, and reported on using System Center Configuration Manager 2007, providing a single infrastructure for security and management provides IT administrators with:

• Consolidated tools, processes, and infrastructure to create new efficiencies and reduce desktop ownership costs.

• A unified view of device configuration and security information to identify and remediate vulnerabilities more easily.

Additional new features in FEP 2010 include a new antivirus engine for efficient threat detection against the latest malware and rootkits, protection against “unknown” or “zero day” threats through behavior monitoring and emulation, and Windows Firewall management.

Key Features

Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 makes it easier to protect critical desktop and server operating systems against viruses, spyware, rootkits, and other threats.

Single Console for Endpoint Management and Security – Configuration Manager 2007 provides a single interface for managing and securing desktops that reduce complexity and improve troubleshooting and reporting insights.

Central Policy Creation – Administrators have a central location for creating and applying all client-related policies.

Enterprise Scalability – Use of the Configuration Manager infrastructure in Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 makes it possible to efficiently deploy clients and policies in the largest organizations around the globe.

Improved Threat Detection – The new anti-malware engine protects against the latest malware and rootkits with a low false positive rate, and keeps employees productive with scanning that has a low impact on performance.

Behavioral Threat Detection – Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 uses system behavior and file reputation data to identify and block attacks on client systems from previously unknown threats. Detection methods include behavior monitoring, emulation, and dynamic translation.

Automated Agent Replacement – Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 automatically detects and removes the most common endpoint security agents, dramatically lowering the time and effort needed to deploy new protection.

Windows Firewall Management – Ensures that Windows Firewall is active and working properly to protect against network-layer threats. It also enables administrators to more easily manage these protections across the enterprise.

Integration with System Center Operations Manager – The Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Security Management Pack enables IT to monitor the security of server operating systems from System Center operations Manager.

Microsoft plans to offer tools to help companies migrate users from Forefront Client Security to Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010. The software is available in English, German, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, Italian, Korean, and Spanish. Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 protects Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008.

Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 can be purchased as a stand-alone product or as part of the Enterprise CAL Suite or Forefront Protection Suite. The estimated annual subscription price for an organization with at least five users is $8.64 US per user or per device, per year. Learn more about Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 here.