Commtouch has unveiled its new cloud-based Global View URL filtering solution.

The product reportedly enables safe browsing by offering updated and secure protection against malicious threats. 

"By analysing and storing URL classification values 'in the cloud,' [Global View] alleviates the strain on traditional solutions that typically use local databases and heuristic technologies," Commtouch spokesperson Rebbeca Herson told IT Examiner. "The data cloud technique leverages Commtouch's global analysis and classification centres, in four data centres around the world, that investigate billions of transactions daily in order to produce the most accurate classifications."

Indeed, Global View reportedly utilises a combination of eight security categories such as "compromised sites," "phishing and fraud" and "botnets" to proactively defend against various web-based threats before a compromised or hostile site is accessed.

"Data Cloud technology is designed to overcome the limitations of earlier types of technologies, to enable safe browsing via accurate classification of URLs," said Herson. "Using this type of technology, an end-customer has access to all the URL data they need, whenever they need it, rather than relying on a 'one size fits all' scenario in which all customers have replicas of a single database of URL classifications."

Asaf Greiner, VP of web security at Commtouch, concurred.

"The original benefits of URL filtering, such as compliance and productivity, still remain important, but our URL filtering solution goes above and beyond, explained Greiner. "In addition to all the usual benefits of URL filtering, Global View proactively identifies threats that can be highly damaging to users and organisations."

It should be noted that cloud-based products and solutions continue to increase in popularity. As IT Examiner previously reported, a recent survey conducted by Evans Data indicated that at least 40 per cent of open source developers intended to offer their applications as web services via cloud providers.

28 per cent of participants planned to use Google's App Engine, while 15 per cent were expected to choose Amazon's services. Cloud services by other vendors, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Salesforce were not nearly as popular.

"We envision a very bright future for cloud computing," John Andrews, president and CEO of Evans Data told IT Examiner. "The benefits to business are fairly self-evident: lower TCO and greater ROI, the outcomes of better distribution of IT costs and burden and improved IT efficiency. Open source adoption has been on the rise without the the economic meltdown and we only see the current economy driving the adoption at an even higher rate." X

Check Out
IT Examiner