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Beta Begins of Forefront Security for SharePoint
Microsoft announced Wednesday that it has released the first beta of its Forefront Security package for SharePoint, the company's portal technologies.
Forefront Security for SharePoint can simultaneously take advantage of as many as five antivirus engines. This latest release -- which is a follow on from Antigen for SharePoint 8, released in June -- includes a new Microsoft Antivirus engine as well as integration with Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, according to company statements.
Microsoft first announced the Forefront Security moniker and product line at the company's annual TechEd conference in Boston in June. The Forefront Security line is based on the Antigen products that the company acquired when it bought out Sybari Software in mid-2005. Sybari's technology -- now in Forefront -- uses a multiple antivirus scanning engine approach to provide security protection in-depth.
The company began beta testing a similar package -- Forefront for Exchange Server 2007 -- last summer.
"For Exchange, Forefront scans e-mails, whereas for SharePoint, it checks documents that are being uploaded and downloaded," said a company spokesperson. The upcoming version also provides support for x64-based systems.
The release of Forefront Security for SharePoint will coincide with the general availability of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, which are scheduled to be available to businesses by the end of 2006 and generally available in early 2007.
The beta release can be downloaded here.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.