NetIQ Delivers Better Support for Oracle, Windows Servers with Security Manager 5.5

Published: March 7, 2006

by Alex Woodie

NetIQ has delivered new capabilities for ensuring that updates to its Security Manager software are quickly implemented and that Oracle and Windows server environments are properly secured with Security Manager version 5.5, a new release of its enterprise security management suite for heterogeneous data centers.

With the number of zero-day security exploits growing, keeping security software up-to-date has never been more important. To that end, NetIQ has made changes in its flagship Security Manager product to ensure that customers can download and install the latest product updates, rules, views, security knowledge, summary reports, forensic queries, and device monitoring support from the software vendor as soon as they are available.

This release also brings support for the Oracle database running on Unix platforms, including real-time monitoring, log archival, and reporting of database system events and management activities. NetIQ has also adopted the product so that monitoring Windows servers doesn't require an agent to be installed on the monitored server--it uses the Windows Event Log Proxy (WELP) provider instead--which the vendor says will make a big difference at IT shops where "an agent-based approach is not feasible or desirable." If agents are unavoidable, Security Manager users will rest easier as a result of the new agent administration wizard in this release.

NetIQ, which also sells a suite of proven OS/400 security tools called NetIQ Security Solutions for iSeries, allows IT managers to view OS/400 security-related information through Security Manager views. NetIQ's OS/400 security tools also integrate with Vulnerability Manager, which, together with Security Manager, forms the Security Compliance Suite.

NetIQ Security Manager 5.5 ships this month. Licenses start at $1,100 per managed device.