While there are numerous security suites from Symantec, McAfee, and the like that provide firewall and anti-virus, they aren’t integrated programs: more a collection of software much the way Microsoft Office is a collection of word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software.

Here are three different approaches: two software products from Symantec and eEye, and a combination of hardware and software from a relatively new company called Napera. All three of them combine firewalls, intrusion prevention with centralized management consoles and reports. You can read more in my column in today’s PC World here.