Peter Stephenson,CeRNS,

Clearswift's MIMEsweeper appliance takes web content management to the next level. This device is loaded with features way beyond the usual web filter. A strong feature set makes McAfee’s Security Internet Gateway (SIG) a heavy hitter in any organisation’s architecture. The SIG provides anti-virus scanning against all protocols, while anti-spyware scanning blocks potentially harmful spyware, cookies and adware from getting on to the network. To protect against spam the SIG uses an engine consisting of anti-spam, anti-phishing rule sets, permit-or-deny lists and a spam-learning feature. The SIG enforces policy and compliance issues regarding out-going data transmission as well as some forms of data leakage. This appliance is easily configurable by IT staff and, once configured, requires minimal administrator intervention. The IDsentrie identity management appliance brings together several forms of secure user management into one device. This appliance focuses on two main areas of identity management, the first being network authentication. Power LogOn offers a somewhat different take to identity management. In the IT industry, when a user is given a secure password it is usually something other than their dog’s name or favourite football team. When Avatier calls this an identity management suite, it’s not kidding. This product contains all the tools to manage users through their entire lifecycle. The company has split identity management into six phases. Encentuate Identity and Access Management (IAM) suite has many well-developed features that cover the full spectrum of administrator deployment and end-user authentication. Aladdin’s eToken offers full enterprise-wide deployment and lifecycle management of all authentication tokens, users and support applications. The product uses an open standards-based architecture with support for security applications relying on configurable connecters. The Sun Identity Manager is designed to play at a high level in a large environment. It focuses on creating and managing provisioning workflows quickly and easily, as well as helping with auditing and compliance. Convergence is the best word to sum up this appliance-based offering. Imprivata OneSign brings together three pieces of identity management. The first is authentication management, which replaces Windows-based authentication with stronger methods that can be managed in one place. The 4tress AAA Server offers scalable authentication, authorisation and accounting services. It is supported by LDAP and SQL databases, allowing centralised administration with fully distributed user authentication. StrikeForce’s ProtectID provides an open-architecture platform for strong user authentication. The product allows multiple authentication methods such as biometrics and mobile-phone authentication for remote users to be mixed and matched for customers needing multi-layered security access. No middleware is needed, thanks to its ability to link directly to a domain controller. Coupled with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) SSL VPN, SecureAuth can offer same-day deployment with x.509 level user authentication. The product integrates seamlessly with many third-party applications such as Microsoft Active Directory, SQL and Oracle database. Novell Identity Manager is a complete identity management system, a workflow system that simplifies both provisioning and binding users to objects, a compliance auditing system, single sign-on, a designer component that allows drag and drop development of policies and workflows and a user interface that is both comprehensive and easy to use. The TriCipher Armored Credential System (TACS) is a truly integrated system that delivers authentication combining the strength of PKI with the ease of entering a user name and password. TACS’ main components are the ID vault, a FIPS 140-2 level 2-rated appliance that manages user information, digitally signs transactions and authenticates. Defender 5 deploys strong two-factor authentication controlled within Windows Active Directory to ensure that only authorised users have access to protected resources. It supports administration for multiple token types including hardware, software and Mobil SMS. WiseGuard is one piece of the much larger Evidian Identity and Access Management (IAM) Suite. This product focuses only on integrating single sign-on into an existing environment. However, it does have some great features. Courion’s Enterprise Provisioning Suite can be summed up as a fully adaptable, tailor-made identity-management solution. Users can select specific components of the suite and have a platform that meets their specific needs. The process starts with what Courion calls Jump Start. This is exactly what it sounds like, getting the process up and running out of the box. This product contains several pieces that integrate very well. When combined, it covers protection from viruses, worms, spyware and other malicious attacks. The pieces include anti-virus monitor, email monitor, document monitor and internet monitor. The monitors are delegated to serve their specific purpose; therefore, protection is complete and no one monitor is overburdened. The monitors work nicely together to proactively protect the computers. Proventia Desktop focuses on two areas, the first being protection from spyware. This product analyses network downloads to stop the spread of new spyware, and also stops existing spyware from running by stopping unauthorised application communication outside the desktop. Last year we reviewed NetClarity’s Enterprise Auditor product and we liked it a lot. This year we looked at its little sibling, the Branch Auditor. We were amazed at the power of this little handful of an appliance.