Head-to-head testing conducted by Network Testing Labs shows that McAfee's single-appliance Secure Internet Gateway is eight times more effective at blocking malicious Web sites, six times more effective at blocking spam and more than four times more effective at blocking malware than the combination of Barracuda Spam Firewall and Web Filter Appliances.
"These results confirm what our customers tell us - McAfee's product is much more effective than competitive alternatives," said Jack Marsal, director of product marketing for McAfee. "Our goal with Secure Internet Gateway is to provide unrivaled protection against Web and e-mail threats all in a single appliance that is simple to install and manage-saving our customers time, money, and hassle."
Network Testing Labs looked for the ability to identify and block malware (such as viruses, spam, phishing attempts, keystroke loggers, browser hijackers, adware, rootkits, dialers, data miners, and Trojans). The Labs collected a suite of 200 malware samples, and moved the samples to an isolated network designed to simulate the Internet. McAfee Secure Internet Gateway effectively blocked 198 instances of malware and let two pass undetected. In contrast, the Barracuda products blocked 190 instances of malware and let 10 pass undetected. From the customer's point of view, the Barracuda products let pass five times as much malware as the McAfee product.
To gauge the products' anti-spam accuracy, the Labs exposed the machines to the live Internet and then examined incoming mail by hand to determine which e-mail messages were unsolicited. The results were then compared to those of the Secure Internet Gateway and the Spam Firewall devices. Of the 1,834 live spam messages that arrived at Network Testing Labs' facility during the two-week test, Secure Internet Gateway let only 18 pass through undetected. The Barracuda Spam Firewall let 110 pass through undetected, six times as many as McAfee Secure Internet Gateway.
Finally, in the test for ability to block malicious Web sites, McAfee Secure Internet Gateway failed to block 1 percent of the malicious Web sites, and the Barracuda Web Filter failed to block 8 percent of the malicious Web sites, eight times as many as McAfee.
The test results can be used to indicate the real world difference between McAfee and Barracuda. The impact from this difference in accuracy quickly becomes magnified when hundreds of users are involved. The testing demonstrated that McAfee's Secure Internet Gateway provides better anti-spam and anti-malware protection than the combination of Barracuda Networks' Spam Firewall and Web Filter devices. Secure Internet Gateway blocked more spam and malware, offered a better central console user interface, and was more scalable, according to Network Testing Labs.
"The Internet is like a vast pool of dirty water," said Barry Nance of Network Testing Labs. "The Internet becomes an essential resource when cleaned up and filtered. McAfee Secure Internet Gateway appliances are highly effective filtration devices for spam and all types of malware and perform better than the combination of Barracuda Spam Firewall and Web Filter appliances. The McAfee Secure Internet Gateway has the edge in terms of simplicity and convenience.-McAfee
