Behind the Shield, July 2004

From: DaveAI (junktarget_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/22/04 

Date: 22 Jul 2004 09:26:24 -0700

Behind the Shield
                         The Central Voice for Open Source Security.

Distributed by Guardian Digital, Inc. 12 July 2004 Volume II Issue VII

In this issue of Behind the Shield, Guardian Digital's chronicle of Internet
and open source security news, we'll cover company highlights, thoughts from
our CEO and revealing points on how Guardian Digital products are rapidly
changing the face of open source for business.

Read on to learn how Guardian Digital is currently supplying network security
applications to one of the largest equity security exchanges in the United
States.

|--------------------------------------------------------|
  Guardian Digital Supplies Security Solutions for
  One of New Jersey's Largest Automotive Sales Companies
|--------------------------------------------------------|
For the last 40 years, Sansone Auto has been providing New Jersey drivers with
affordable cars & trucks. Over that time, technology has rapidly evolved,
making the sale and financing of an automobile achievable with a simple click
of the mouse. With their entire organization depending on networked
applications and sensitive corporate and company information being stored on
the system, it was essential for the organization to implement robust security
solutions to inhibit intrusions, viruses and other common threats. Turning to
Guardian Digital, Sansone Auto implemented Internet Defense and Detection
System, a fully open source intrusion detection and prevention solution.
With comprehensive graphical reporting and an innovative attack severity
rating system, system administrators at Sansone are more capable then ever to
keep their system secure and consistently efficient.

Read Full Article
http://www.guardiandigital.com/cgi-bin/behindtheshield.pl?id=bts007_gd_auto

|------------------------------------------------|
  Guardian Digital Chosen to Provide Chicago
  Stock Exchange with Secure Internet
  Infrastructure Solution
|------------------------------------------------|
Chicago Stock Exchange, one of the largest equity security exchanges in the
United States, recently implemented Guardian Digital's award-winning EnGarde
Secure Linux company-wide as their secure operating platform. After testing a
number of competitors including offerings from Microsoft, Chicago Stock
Exchange found EnGarde to be by far the easiest to implement and consistently
proved itself to be highly secure and reliable.

"Companies are realizing that they must invest in solutions that actually work
rather then those that simply make them feel good. For this, Guardian Digital
offered us rock solid, stable options," states Dave Coder, security architect
and manager of network services at Chicago Stock Exchange.

Learn More
http://www.guardiandigital.com/cgi-bin/behindtheshield.pl?id=bts007_gd_stock

|--------------------------------|
   Guardian Digital in the News
|--------------------------------|
LinuxPipeline: Guardian Digital Upgrades Open Source Secure Mail Server

Guardian Digital CEO, Dave Wreski sits down with LinuxPipeline and
SecurityPipeline editor Mitch Wagoner to talk about the launch of
next-generation Guardian Digital Secure Mail Suite.

Full Article
http://www.guardiandigital.com/cgi-bin/behindtheshield.pl?id=bts007_linuxpipeline

Processor.com: Guard Your Networks with Wireless Protection Products

Guardian Digital's small business security and productivity management system,
Internet Productivity Suite, is featured in Processor magazine for its
comprehensive design and special attention to wireless security.

Read More
http://www.guardiandigital.com/cgi-bin/behindtheshield.pl?id=bts007_processor

|--------------------------|
       At a Glance
|--------------------------|
EnGarde WorkGroup Suite

EnGarde Secure Workgroup Suite is a comprehensive connectivity solution
designed to increase productivity and security of any network. The perfect
compliment to EnGarde Secure Linux Professional, EnGarde WorkGroup Suite
includes browser-based administration, file and print sharing functions,
network management, VPN support, as well as local and remote e-mail
capabilities. Engineered to be secure, EnGarde WorkGroup Suite is an ideal
solution for Internet and intranet connectivity needs.

EnGarde WorkGroup Suite allows organizations to build a low-cost alternative
to proprietary file & print solutions, access corporate network remotely and
securely, and manage system access. A complete package that extends security
and productivity features to the corporate network, this workgroup
productivity suite is robust, easy to set up and requires no previous Linux
experience to configure or maintain.

Learn more about Guardian Digital EnGarde WorkGroup Suite
http://www.guardiandigital.com/cgi-bin/behindtheshield.pl?id=bts007_gd_workgroup

|---------------------------------|
   Hints & Tips from the Experts
|---------------------------------|
Guardian Digital is pleased to provide Behind the Shield readers with
informative expert advice on what network security really means. Each month a
new topic of interest will be chosen to supply you with useful tips and
information not offered elsewhere. This month, we'll have a brief discussion
on steps to take when considering outsourcing IT security services.

In recent years, outsourcing for IT security assistance has become a very
popular trend among small to medium sized organizations. Not having the man
power in-house to handle everything necessary, outsourcing certain tasks seems
like a viable option, however there are security factors to keep in mind when
looking to do so.

The most frequent IT services outsourced are usually services such as
vulnerability scanning, monitoring, consulting, and forensic analysis. These
are vastly important services when referring to network security. As with
anything else, trusting an outside source with the security of a network can
be risky. Is the outsourcing firm legitimate, honest, and willing to provide
the most optimum services? To answer these questions, thoroughly check on the
company in question. Visit the location, ask for references, and examine
their financial background and the way the do business. Make sure they are
professional, capable and stable. Finally, if an organization decides to go
forward, they should insist on a strong service agreement and some insight and
involvement into the services the outsourcer will be providing.

|----------------------------|
       Industry Note
|----------------------------|
Getting to the Bottom of Patch Management

Over the years, patch management has become exponentially important to the
continued security and success of the world's corporate networks. With 959
new viruses and worms released last May alone, and operating systems and
application patches being released daily, an effective patch management
strategy has become a critical business practice to corporations of all sizes.
Unfortunately for smaller businesses and strained IT departments, patch
management can be quite burdensome. Vulnerabilities are being exploited
faster then patches are being implemented, and as a result, entire networks
are being shut down, costing businesses millions of dollars every year in lost
productivity and revenue.

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), the leading security incidents
 and vulnerability coordination organization, reports that over 95% of network
intrusions can be prevented by keeping networked systems up to date with the
appropriate patches. However, insufficient communication about security
issues with customers often times leads to patches not being applied correctly
or quickly enough to thwart attacks; the servers are being compromised more
quickly than any time in the past. With new vulnerabilities being announced
daily, and exploits being carried out at virtually the same time as the
vulnerability is announced, it seems nearly impossible for IT administrators
to be able to know exactly which programs need patches, where to find them,
and how to test and deploy them in such a condensed period of time. For
example, the Microsoft Blaster worm, which affected 120,000 vulnerable
computers in its first 36 hours of inception, was released only 26 days after
the vulnerability was found, giving Microsoft little time to release a patch
and administrators insufficient time to secure the fix.

Although seemingly difficult, it is possible to employ an efficient and
effective patch management strategy to any organization regardless of
available resources, and a great level of assurance that compatibility with
previous versions will be maintained. Following simple guidelines like
knowing your IT inventory, prioritizing the patching of systems and programs,
defining policies, executing security patches as they become available,and
most importantly, correctly implementing each patch, can make patch management
simpler to manage, efficient and cost-effective. Additionally, there are many
software solutions and vendor-based services an organization can use to
further ease this task.

Knowing system maintenance with special regard to patch management can be
arduous, Guardian Digital offers, through the Guardian Digital Secure Network,
advisories and automatic system updates intended to keep administrative costs
down without sacrificing security. Patch management is a business issue that
no company, large or small, can afford to disregard. Vendor services such as
the Guardian Digital Secure Network provide solutions to all the patch
management issues described above and should be considered when looking to
implement a more effective patch management strategy.

-Dave Wreski, CEO, Guardian Digital, Inc.

|-------------------------------|
   Guardian Digital Mail Bag
|-------------------------------|

Q. There has been a lot of government intervention regarding corporations and
IT security in recent years. Can you explain why these laws are needed?

A. As we have established many times over, Internet and network security is
essential to the success of any business. But certain businesses not only
house their own confidential information, but also that of their customers.
Organizations such as banks and insurance companies keep very personal, highly
confidential consumer information on their network. If their network is
compromised, not only is the livelihood of the business at risk, but that of
their customers can be threatened as well. As a result, the United States
government has passed several mandates requiring certain businesses to take
measures to comply with federal regulations.

The laws in question include HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act) and Sarbanes-Oxley Act. HIPAA requires those in the
medical or insurance industries to ensure the privacy of confidential patient
information. Sarbanes Oxley, on the other hand, was passed in response to the
Enron issue and other major accountingscandals, requiring the CEO and CFO of
publicly traded companies to validate financial statements and other
accounting information.

Although on the surface these laws have very little to do with IT security and
more to do with privacy and accountability, network security applications have
become compliance solutions for the organizations effected. The reason for
this is the simple fact that a majority of organizations (especially large
corporations) conduct almost all their business electronically and on the
Internet. The days of paper files and "snail mail" are seemingly over.
Business-critical communications, financial records, customer information and
other corporate data is stored on corporate networks. If a corporate network
lacks sufficient security to keep intruders out, that information becomes
vulnerable to interception and exploitation. By aptly securing corporate
networks, the integrity of private information remains in tact allowing
organizations to comply with appropriate federal regulations.

The Behind the Shield editors encourage their readers to submit questions.
The most frequently asked questions will appear in future issues. We look
forward to answering all your inquiries! Email us at info@guardiandigital.com

|------------------------|
    Partner Profile
|------------------------|

Through national and multi-national partners like SpeedTech, Inc. in Italy,
Guardian Digital is able to provide their productivity and security solutions
to customers worldwide.

SpeedTech, Inc. is Italy's premier information technology company. Offering a
wide array of high quality products and services, SpeedTech provides
everything from system & database administration to networking & security
solutions. Software development, technology consulting, and project
management services are also available. Encompassing competencies in a
multitude of different sectors, SpeedTech adeptly provides complete and
customized solutions for each of their many clients.

Guardian Digital was selected as a partner due to exceptional security and
simplified management of its products. Utilizing Guardian Digital's products,
SpeedTech is able to provide secure server solutions to its customers in less
time and at a fraction of the cost.

For further information on SpeedTech, please visit their website at:
www.speedtech.it

Relevant Pages

  • Behind the Shield, July 2004
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    (comp.os.linux.misc)
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