MQ Security Tools from Capitalware Now Available for i OS

Published: June 2, 2009

by Alex Woodie

Capitalware is now shipping a set of three WebSphere MQ security tools for i OS. The Markham, Ontario, company announced the general availability of the i OS versions of the three products, which close several security shortcomings with default installations of WebSphere MQ, last month.

Despite its reputation as a bullet-proof platform for the exchange of transactional data across different operating systems, WebSphere MQ (MQ Series) offers surprisingly little default security, according to Capitalware president Roger Lacroix, who has years of experience with the product.

To properly secure their out-of-the-box WebSphere MQ implementation, users must either write their own security routines, ensure that everything is encrypted, or purchase and install a third-party security product to protect MQ data. After writing his own MQ security routines at various companies he worked for, Lacroix decided to make a business out of it, and founded Capitalware.

Capitalware recently finished porting and testing three MQ security tools for the i OS (i5/OS) platform, including MQ Standard Security Exit (MQSSX), MQ Authenticate User Security Exit (MQAUSX), and MQ Instant Secure Data (MQISD).

Both MQSSX and MQAUSX focus on stopping unauthorized users from accessing WebSphere MQ resources. MQAUSX allows a company to fully authenticate users attempting to access WebSphere MQ resources by checking their user ID and a password against the server's native OS system or a remote LDAP server. MQSSX allows a company to control and restrict based on user ID and IP address.

MQISD protects WebSphere MQ data by encrypting it using TEA Variant, a "fast block cipher" algorithm with a 128-bit key.

All three products work with WebSphere MQ versions 5.3, 6.0, and 7.0. They also support Windows, Unix, and Linux environments.

Licenses for MQISD start at $299 per server, with an unlimited enterprise license going for $55,000. MQAUSX costs $499 per server, or $90,000 for an enterprise license. MQSX goes for $249 per server, or a site license of $45,000. Capitalware is targeting all i OS releases from i5/OS V5R3 to IBM i 6.1. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.capitalware.biz.

RELATED STORY

Capitalware Clamps Down on WebSphere MQ's 'Big Dirty' Security Secret

                     Post this story to del.icio.us
               Post this story to Digg
    Post this story to Slashdot