Trend Micro today announced Web Gateway Security, a solution designed to enable IT managers to track Web usage in the extended enterprise and to defend their growing network.

Security managers are facing some tough challenges, Trend Micro noted. While Web security systems are designed to prevent employees from accessing dangerous Web sites, many legitimate sites pose a threat.

Protecting employees from threats on social media and mobile networks is also challenging.

Trend Micro's solution integrates two products, the InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance 5.0 and a new Advanced Reporting and Management (ARM) module.

"Not only are most Web gateway security solutions not doing enough to stop Web threats, they have very high management costs," said David Lieberman, Trend Micro gateway and collaboration director, in a statement. "Trend Micro Web Gateway Security gives customers better protection, more flexibility and lower total costs.

The ARM module enables security managers to track all Web activity.

"As a software virtual appliance, it fits the growing trend toward standardized hardware and virtualization," the company said.

The InterScan virtual appliance complements ARM by scanning HTTPS traffic, delivering a comprehensive and flexible filtering policy, and delivering object-level blocking, "which secures Web 2.0 Web pages by providing more granular enforcement of policy without blocking the entire page," the company said.

Trend Micro Web Gateway Security is available now. Pricing is $17.98 per seat for companies with 2,001 to 5,000 employees, and volume discounts are available.