The winners of the newly restructured "Readers' Choice Awards" were published recently by the editors of TechTarget, Inc.'s Information Security® magazine and SearchSecurity.com.
    There were 1,595 information security executives and managers who evaluated 340 products, in 15 product categories, that are deployed within their organizations. Nine months in the making, the Awards reflect extensive, in-depth discussions and interviews between TechTarget editors, security technology experts, and the Information Security Editorial Advisory board to define the appropriate categories and highly granular or specific criteria to encompass the most critical security technologies and functionality.

    With 15 product categories -- antimalware; application security; authentication; database security; endpoint security; identity and access management; intrusion detection/prevention; messaging/email; network firewall; remote access; risk policy management; SIMs; unified threat management; vulnerability management; and wireless -- the Awards single out 45 new or enhanced products that enterprise IT professionals should consider adding to their "A" lists of security products to evaluate. For each criterion, respondents scored the product on a scale of one (poor) to five (excellent). In addition, each criterion was given a weighted percentage to reflect its importance in that category. Some criteria were applied in multiple product categories, and one, "Investment ROI -- Are you getting your money's worth?" was asked in all 15 product categories.

The Winners are listed below:

Category: Antimalware (Host and gateway antivirus and antispyware products, host-based intrusion prevention) (there was a tie for silver in this category)
Gold: McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) -- VirusScan Enterprise/Anti-Spyware Enterprise
Silver: Trend Micro Incorporated (NASDAQ: TMIC) -- Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware
Silver: Websense, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBSN) -- Websense Enterprise

Category: Application Security (Web application firewalls, application vulnerability assessment and Web services security)
Gold: IBM (NYSE:IBM) -- Websphere DataPower SOA appliances
Silver: SPI Dynamics, Inc. -- WebInspect
Bronze: Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) -- Citrix Application Firewall

Category: Authentication (PKI, RADIUS, biometrics, tokens and smart cards)
Gold: RSA, The Security Division of EMC, (NYSE: EMC) -- SecurID
Silver: VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) -- PKI
Bronze: ActivIdentity Corporation (NASDAQ: ACTI) -- Enterprise Access Cards

Category: Database Security (Database monitoring and vulnerability assessment, data encryption, removable storage and portable device control)
Gold: Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) -- Database Security
Silver: Application Security, Inc. (AppSecInc) -- AppDetective
Bronze: Imperva -- SecureSphere Database Security Gateway

Category: Endpoint Security (Network access control)
Gold: Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) -- Symantec Network Access Control
Silver: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) -- Cisco NAC
Bronze: McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) -- Policy Enforcer

Category: Identity and Access Management (Web SSO, provisioning, user auditing, directories and password management)
Gold: Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ: NOVL) -- Novell Identity Manager
Silver: RSA, The Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC) -- ClearTrust
Bronze: Oracle (NASDAQGS: ORCL) -- Oracle Identity Manager

Category: Intrusion Detection/Prevention (Signature- and anomaly-based intrusion detection and/or prevention and network-based analysis)
Gold: TippingPoint -- TippingPoint Intrusion Prevention System
Silver: Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) -- Network Security 7100 Series
Bronze: Juniper Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNPR) -- NetScreen-IDP

Category: Messaging/email (Antispam, AV, content filtering; instant messaging and VoIP security )
Gold: Postini, Inc. -- Perimeter Manager
Silver: Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) -- Antigen
Bronze: IronPort Systems Inc. -- IronPort (Cisco)

Category: Network Firewall (Appliances and software-based network firewall products)
Gold: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) -- PIX
Silver: Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) -- FireWall-1
Bronze: Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) -- Microsoft ISA Server

Category: Remote Access (IPsec and SSL VPN, thin clients)
Gold: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) -- VPN Concentrator
Silver: Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) -- Citrix Access Gateway
Bronze: Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) -- VPN-1

Category: Risk Policy Management (Risk assessment/management, policy management/enforcement, configuration management/enforcement)
Gold: Tripwire, Inc. -- Tripwire Enterprise
Silver: Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) -- Symantec Compliance Control Suite
Bronze: Altiris, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATRS) -- Altiris SecurityExpressions
Category: SIMs (Security information and/or security event management)
Gold: ArcSight -- Enterprise Security Manager
Silver: NetIQ Corporation -- Security Manger
Bronze: Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) -- Eventia

Category: Unified Threat Management (Multiple proprietary and third-party security applications, including firewall/VPN, antivirus, IPS, etc., consolidated in a single appliance or software package with common management interface)
Gold: Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) -- CheckPoint Express CL
Silver: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) -- ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance
Bronze: SonicWALL, Inc., (NASDAQ: SNWL) -- SonicWALL PRO

Category: Vulnerability Management (Vulnerability management lifecycle, vulnerability assessment and automated patch management)
Gold: Qualys, Inc. -- QualysGuard Enterprise
Silver: IBM Internet Security Systems IBM (NYSE:IBM) -- ISS Internet Scanner
Bronze: GFI -- LANguard Network Security Scanner

Category: Wireless (Wireless IDS/IPS, access control and rogue detection products)
Gold: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) -- Wireless Security Suite
Silver: AirDefense, Inc.-- AirDefense Enterprise
Bronze: Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) -- VPN-1 Edge W

Category: Emerging Technology (Editors select three innovative technologies that promise to address a critical security need for the enterprise or small to medium-sized business)
Gold: ForeScout Technologies, Inc. -- CounterAct
Silver: Mu Security -- Mu-4000 Security Analyzer
Bronze: KoolSpan, Inc. -- SecurityEdge