WatchGuard Technologies has announced that its current line of WatchGuard Firebox X Core and Peak network security appliances help neutralize the latest Java security risk for Mac OS X 10.4.x users.

Application Proxy technology, re-routes HTTP traffic (web traffic) through an application-layer proxy. This proxy separates user web traffic from the web-source, and by doing so, allows the WatchGuard Firebox X appliance to inspect web-based traffic, neutralize and protect against this type of exploit.

"Unlike deep packet inspection firewalls, which only examine lower layers of data packets, an application proxy can actively inspect and mitigate malicious code right at the application layer," said Eric Aarrestad, Vice President of Marketing at WatchGuard. "When activated, the application proxy function in WatchGuard Firebox X solutions can detect and deter this type of web-based, application-layer attack before it can turn into something more severe."