Unified threat management (UTM) devices are the latest buzz in the security market. UTM devices are multifunction devices that combine many security applications -- firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention system (IPS), Web filtering and antivirus -- into a single hardware platform.
UTM firewalls offer significant management and cost advantages over single-purpose security products, but often require feature and functionality tradeoffs. Products dedicated to a single security application are typically more feature-rich and deliver higher performance.
