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FAQ Unified Threat Management

Your questions.
We answer.

Frequently asked questions about LCOS FX Unified Threat Management

As usual in the field of network security, we also complement our firewall technology (LCOS FX) with selected UTM services from specialized OEM partners.

Surprisingly, we received the news on Feb 22, 23 that our OEM partner for content filtering and anti-spam services has filed for liquidation, so that the operational business of both services is no longer guaranteed without interruptions.

Not affected are: Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware, Application Filter, IDS / IPS, and all functions of the LANCOM UF Basic License.

The Content Filter of LCOS-based routers is also not affected by this situation.

Further information on the recommended procedure can be found in this FAQ.

Information on how to deal with the current situation

Which functions are affected?

Only the following services are affected:

  • Anti-Spam
  • Content Filter
  • DNS Web Filter

Which functions are not affected?

  • Anti-Virus
  • Anti-Malware
  • Application Filter
  • IDS / IPS
  • All functions of the LANCOM UF Basic License
  • Content filtering of LCOS-based routers

What are the effects of the unavailability of the Content Filtering and Anti-Spam services?

  • The firewall behaves as if both services were switched off.  
  • Web pages can be called up without any restrictions. 
  • E-mails are forwarded without spam checking and filtering

How is my network still protected?

Essential UTM and security functions continue to protect your network effectively: Malware and virus protection is unrestricted, and communication classified as dangerous at the network level is blocked via IDS/IPS. VPN-encrypted connections also remain fully functional and communication can still be restricted to desired protocols and applications.

What other measures should be taken?

  • Use the LANCOM Content Filter in conjunction with the BPjM module. The BPjM filter contains an official website list from the "Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien" (German Federal Review Board, BPjM) whose content is officially classified as harmful to young people. In this knowledgebase article, we explain how to configure the application.
  • Once again, make your customers and employees very aware of how to deal with suspicious e-mails, with a special focus on the issue of phishing.
  • The application filter can be used, for example, to block social media applications completely (for a transitional period).

Who is the new OEM partner?

Due to the ongoing contract negotiations, we are currently unable to provide any informat

When do the changes take effect?

Due to the liquidation of our current OEM partner, services may be discontinued at any time. A new version of LCOS FX with a new OEM partner is still planned for March.

Are there plans for two or more OEM partners in the future?

This is currently not planned from our side.

What will change specifically in the settings and the work of the Content Filter?

A few adjustments to the Content Filter categories will be necessary. We will provide a dedicated migration guide for this.

Wo findet man immer den aktuellen Stand zu diesem Thema?

Here you can get the latest information.

Next steps

We are currently monitoring the operation of the services on a permanent basis so that we can provide immediate information in the event of changes or a sudden service outage. At the same time, we are working hard to provide an alternative service. We expect to make the new service available with the firmware release LCOS FX 10.11 in March 2023. An update to this release is necessary in order to operate the firewall with the Content Filtering and Anti-Spam services.

Do you have any further questions?

Feel free to send us an e-mail to the following address:

faq_utm@lancom.de

The received questions with our answers in the form of FAQs will be published on this website.