The SmoothWall information security application is notable for extending the technology seen in the firm's desktop-based offerings to the portable PC environment.

In use, the application allows IT managers to prevent users from accessing inappropriate content, which can often lead to malware or similar infections on the laptop.

According to the Leeds-based Information security company, SmoothWall, although other vendors have released laptop filtering software, Mobile Guardian is the first to support highly accurate content filtering for the laptop environment.

This level of granular control on laptop access is essential, says SmoothWall, as laptop/remote users are usually more at risk from web-based threats.

The new software includes SmoothWall's Dynamic Content Analysis (DCA) technology, which the firm claims to be superior to less sophisticated URL-based blocking approaches since its intelligent algorithms to recognise and classify all undesirable web content in real time.

The irony of DCA will not be lost on those internet users with long memories, Infosecurity notes, as early web browsing content checking technology seen in the late 1980s and early 1990s relied on this approach, for the simple reason that the bandwidth to support centralised URL checking services was not then available.

Tom Newton, SmoothWall's product manager, said that, with mounting concerns about productivity, security and compliance, employers can no longer afford to let the activities of remote workers go unchecked.

"Web filtering and acceptable use policies should be consistently applied to all users - particularly remote ones - since they often represent a greater threat than staff working within the safety of the secure company network," he said.