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A litany of new security applications and services were among the many new products rolled out in connection with the ongoing Interop New York conference, being held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center Sept. 18-22.
Among the security industry players introducing new software at the conference was StillSecure, a software maker in the NAC (network access control) space, which announced version 5.0 of its Safe Access package, a product that aims to help enterprises better secure their IT operations by closely examining devices that attempt to log-on to their networks.
Specific upgrades to the product, which competes against NAC technologies made by Cisco Systems and others, is an entirely new user interface featuring a centralized policy-management console, along with new capabilities for creating customized security tests and the option for customers to manage security-related servers in clusters to help ease administration of the devices.
Using the system, if one server is disabled then others in its group can be set to automatically handle security and load balancing duties, according to StillSecure, which is based in Superior, Colo.
While Cisco and Microsoft recently announced that they have achieved interoperability between their NAC-oriented technologies, and predicted a related uptake in adoption of the security technique, executives at StillSecure said that customers are currently looking for best-of-breed products rather than focusing all their investment on products from the larger vendors.
“Its great because those guys are getting everyone pumped up about NAC in general, but Microsoft wont have its products available until 2007, and weve heard from customers that they want more than the NAC appliances that Cisco sells—they want whatever does the job best,” said Alan Shimel, chief strategy officer at StillSecure.
“Eventually those Cisco NAC appliances will essentially become policy servers, and we will be able to pull a lot of information from those devices to give customers the network intelligence they really need.”
Another security product launched during Interop was the WebBlazer Web Threat Management System introduced by partners Websense, which specializes in Internet security and Web filtering software, and Crossbeam Systems, based in Boxborough, Mass., which makes UTM (unified threat management) applications.
The joint product promises comprehensive defense against a variety of Web-based attacks, while also offering to help accelerate online applications and Web site caching abilities.
The companies said that WebBlazer combines San Diego-based Websenses Content Gateway Web proxy and cache technology with Crossbeams UTM platform to provide a new layer of Web content control and visibility, along with improving site responsiveness and reducing the amount of work handled by network security gateways.
For its part, communications and security software maker VeriSign, Mountain View, Calif., detailed a new managed service that promises to help companies collect, analyze and store information gathered in their security alert databases.
Dubbed the VeriSign Log Management Service, the offering pledges to allow companies to improve their ability to monitor and draw conclusions from the security data being collected by their network devices.
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Easing the Compliance Burden
In addition to helping firms remain compliant with federal data security regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, VeriSign said that the service will arm users with increased information regarding user and device activity on their networks, and support log information taken from a wider number of device operating systems, databases and custom applications.
Behavior analysis software maker Mazu Networks, based in Cambridge, Mass., introduced version 7.0 of its Profiler software package, boasting new capabilities for identifying application, user and route path usage data to help track down security incidents.
Mazu Profiler 7.0 also adds two-way integration at its administrative layer to help customers create more intelligent and timely alerts, the company said.
“The ability to provide timely and valuable intelligence to security and operations groups will ensure information security as well as the availability of critical business systems,” said Paul Brady, CEO at Mazu.
BitArmor Systems, Pittsburgh, announced availability of its new flagship Security Suite, which aims to allow companies to encrypt sensitive data residing in a wide number of network repositories.
In addition to protecting data resident on systems ranging from servers, laptops and even backup tapes, the software package aims to allow its customers to help clock information in transit between networks.
The suite is specifically targeted at better allowing executives in charge of compliance, risk mitigation, data tracking and so-called e-discovery tasks to manage those operations more easily.
Endpoint security experts Panda Software, based in Bilbao, Spain, introduced three new products aimed at consumers, launching its Panda Antivirus 2007, Panda Antivirus+Firewall 2007 and Panda Internet Security 2007 offerings, along with GateDefender Integra, a new gateway security device for small and midsize businesses.
The consumer products claim to carry new features that help specifically protect users against the problem of worm viruses and online identity fraud, while the Integra is being touted by the company as an all-in-one appliance for fending off all forms of Internet-borne malware and attacks.
Content monitoring specialists Reconnex, Mountain View, Calif., announced a new partnership with networking gear maker Extreme Networks of Santa Clara, Calif., through which the security company has integrated its flagship software with Extremes Ethernet switching products.
In the name of improving network security by closely monitoring inbound and outbound traffic, the companies say their joint product will allow users to create policies that help prevent intellectual property and confidential data from leaving their operations.
Through the deal, Reconnex iGuard security appliance has been tailored to communicate directly with Extremes high-end BlackDiamond switch via an XML interface, which the companies said should allow the networking device to respond to potential security incidents as they happen.