Security management and risk analysis solutions specialist FireMon rolled out the latest version of its security policy and posture management platform, Security Manager 6.0. The technology provides enforcement and auditing of network devices like firewalls, routers, switches and load balancers.

In addition to policy and configuration management, Security Manager provides monitoring for and alerting on configuration changes, as well as assessment of current configuration settings and the ability to audit these against best practices and compliance standards, with options for remediating configuration issues.

The latest version of Security Manager can also incorporate penetration test results with Rapid7 Metasploit and factor proven exploits into its risk scoring. The risk analysis engine technology was obtained through the April 2011 acquisition of MIT Lincoln Labs startup, Saperix Technologies.

The addition of a risk analysis engine allows Security Manager to analyze the accessibility of vulnerabilities from threat sources, measuring the impact, depth and risk of a potential attack.

With remote, agent-less data collectors for additional monitoring capacity, Security Manager can monitor thousands of devices in a single deployment and supports a broad range of security and network devices, while the platform’s role-based access permissions model allows for granular control of user access permissions.

As businesses struggle to manage legacy and new devices, software and the rise of bring your own device (BYOD) programs in an endless sea of patches, software updates and security threats, keeping the ever-expanding network safe should be a key priority for organizations large and small.

With small businesses set to increase spending on security over the next few years, VARs should adjust their posture to offer security services that streamline operations and prevent catastrophic breaches. That will make you stand up straight.