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The firewall behind the firewall
Computers
& Security,
17 (1998) 325331
Abstracts of Recent Articles and Literature Ben McClure
Network Associates to buy Dr Solomon’s for $640 million, Matthew Rose. Network Associates agreed to buy UK anti-virus software company Dr Solomon’s Group for $640 million, underscoring rapid consolidation in the market for network and computer security software. The move reflects attempts by companies such as Network Associates to create a one-stop-shop for security products to help corporate clients manage their computer networks. Network Associates has been on an acquisition spree lately. In April alone it picked up Magic Solutions International for $11 million, andTrusted Information Systems for $300 million. Dr Solomon’s is considered by many analysts to have the best anti-virus products, and is expected to make Network Associates more competitive in Europe. Wall Street Journal, Europe, 10 June 1998, p. 9. The firewall behind the firewall, Kelly Jackson Higgins. The next big battle for firewall vendors will be for control of the traffic-policy server, which manages end-to-end security and flow of traffic across the network. Part of what is pushing this trend is the rise of virtual private networks (VPNs), especially as VPN products have adopted versions of the IETF’s longawaited 11~ Security (IPSec) protocol standard for encrypting IP communication links. Key players include Cisco, which is working with Microsoft under the Cisco Enterprise Security Alliance, as well as Sun
0167-4048/98$19.00
0 1998 Elsevier Science
Ltd
Microsystems, d eve 10 p ers of SunSoft Solaris. Cisco aims to develop a centralized security policy infrastructure to adjust to the challenge of mobile computing and multi-office facilities. Content filtering is already getting more sophisticated, especially for Java applets. Sun’s Sunscreen firewall software lets in only those applets that are digitally signed by trusted entities. Centralized traffic servers ensure that all nodes and devices are run by a unified security policy. The emerging trend is for vendors to place some security measure in every network component. Early versions of the new breed of traffic policy server manage router access control lists, virus scanning tools, authentication, encryption, network address translation and some content security. Network Corrrputiy, 1 March 1998, p. 26.
S/MIME and OpenPGP vie for security title, Kelly Jackson Higgins. When it comes to the secure E-mail protocols, which method can be trusted more - an S/MIME third party certification authority or OpenPGP? Some industry insiders expect the IETF OpenPGP S/MIME working groups to come together to create a single protocol. But, in the meantime, the customer must choose between the two. S/MIME is being packaged by Microsoft and Netscape in their E-mail clients; IBM plan to incorporate S/MIME in its future releasts of I>omino and Notes. That endorsement should keep S/MIME alive for the
325
& Security,
17 (1998) 325331
Abstracts of Recent Articles and Literature Ben McClure
Network Associates to buy Dr Solomon’s for $640 million, Matthew Rose. Network Associates agreed to buy UK anti-virus software company Dr Solomon’s Group for $640 million, underscoring rapid consolidation in the market for network and computer security software. The move reflects attempts by companies such as Network Associates to create a one-stop-shop for security products to help corporate clients manage their computer networks. Network Associates has been on an acquisition spree lately. In April alone it picked up Magic Solutions International for $11 million, andTrusted Information Systems for $300 million. Dr Solomon’s is considered by many analysts to have the best anti-virus products, and is expected to make Network Associates more competitive in Europe. Wall Street Journal, Europe, 10 June 1998, p. 9. The firewall behind the firewall, Kelly Jackson Higgins. The next big battle for firewall vendors will be for control of the traffic-policy server, which manages end-to-end security and flow of traffic across the network. Part of what is pushing this trend is the rise of virtual private networks (VPNs), especially as VPN products have adopted versions of the IETF’s longawaited 11~ Security (IPSec) protocol standard for encrypting IP communication links. Key players include Cisco, which is working with Microsoft under the Cisco Enterprise Security Alliance, as well as Sun
0167-4048/98$19.00
0 1998 Elsevier Science
Ltd
Microsystems, d eve 10 p ers of SunSoft Solaris. Cisco aims to develop a centralized security policy infrastructure to adjust to the challenge of mobile computing and multi-office facilities. Content filtering is already getting more sophisticated, especially for Java applets. Sun’s Sunscreen firewall software lets in only those applets that are digitally signed by trusted entities. Centralized traffic servers ensure that all nodes and devices are run by a unified security policy. The emerging trend is for vendors to place some security measure in every network component. Early versions of the new breed of traffic policy server manage router access control lists, virus scanning tools, authentication, encryption, network address translation and some content security. Network Corrrputiy, 1 March 1998, p. 26.
S/MIME and OpenPGP vie for security title, Kelly Jackson Higgins. When it comes to the secure E-mail protocols, which method can be trusted more - an S/MIME third party certification authority or OpenPGP? Some industry insiders expect the IETF OpenPGP S/MIME working groups to come together to create a single protocol. But, in the meantime, the customer must choose between the two. S/MIME is being packaged by Microsoft and Netscape in their E-mail clients; IBM plan to incorporate S/MIME in its future releasts of I>omino and Notes. That endorsement should keep S/MIME alive for the
325