With spam and phishing attacks on the rise and IT departments dealing with new threats from mobile e-mail and Web access, network security appliances specialist Fortinet unveiled the FortiGate-800C security appliance, aimed at midsize companies and large enterprise branch offices.

Combining firewall, application control, IP Sec and SSL virtual private network (VPN), intrusion prevention, antivirus, antimalware, antispam and web filtering, the FortiGate-800C also includes out-of-the-box support for IPv6 traffic.

To address the growing number of devices accessing the Web wirelessly, the appliance supports 10,000 client-to-gateway IPSec VPN tunnels and as many as 3,000 concurrent SSL VPN users. Plus, the FortiGate-800C features an integrated wireless controller, which employs role-based firewall policies, protocol-level network access and application-based traffic shaping for a more integrated approach to network security, according to the company.

In targeting midsize customers, Fortinet is taking a flexible approach to threat management, with 20Gbps firewall throughput and a range of configuration options to help companies cope with advanced business applications, social media content and attacks launched from deep within an application layer.

The appliance can support up to 7 million concurrent firewall sessions, part of the capacity and performance improvements Fortinet made, along with bypass interfaces, which automatically bridge network traffic in the event of a system failure or power outage.

Emerging threats require a unique response — something Fortinet is not alone in trying to tackle. As mobile Web access grows and cyber threats become more sophisticated, look for more solutions that offer scalability while providing more complete protection.