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eEye Provides Security Risk Assessments at a Glance with REM 3.0

eEye Digital Security last week unveiled a new version of REM Security Management, a software solution designed to collect, categorize, and analyze various bits of security-related information gathered by other members of eEye's security suite, including its network security scanner, called Retina, and intrusion prevention system, called Blink. With REM version 3.0, eEye has delivered several enhancements, including a new aggregate view of a user's security status by individual machine rather than just events, the capability to create and enforce security policies for Retina and Blink, and new metrics and graphics designed to quickly inform security administrators of multiple factors contributing to their overall risk, including vulnerabilities, attacks, attack surface, and machine criticality.

One of the people already using REM 3.0 is Andre Gold, the director of Information Security at Continental Airlines, who is in charge of 40,000 machines. "REM 3.0 enables me to manage my organization's risk in terms of specific assets, as opposed to a series of events, allowing me to view the security posture of the entire network at a glance, or the history of an individual laptop from a single console." In addition to developing Windows-based software security systems, eEye, which is based in Orange County, California, also has a reputable security vulnerability research organization, and has discovered several recent flaws in Windows and Microsoft products, including a critical vulnerability patched by Microsoft yesterday (see "Microsoft Patches IE Flaw Used in Trojan Attacks").

Veritas Backup Exec Now Bundled with Tandberg Data Tape Drives

When you buy an LTO, DLT, or SLR tape drive or autoloader from Tandberg Data, you will get a copy of Symantec's Backup Exec for Windows Servers QuickStart Edition to help you manage your backups, San Diego-based Tandberg announced last week. Tandberg had originally offered the popular backup software initially developed by Veritas with its InteliStor virtual tape library appliance, and decided to expand the offering to its tape drive products because it provides "a very high value proposition for the market," said Ken Cruden, Tandberg's chief operating officer. "Symantec Backup Exec is the leading backup application," he said, "and the close working relationship between Symantec and Tandberg Data assures our customers that Tandberg . . . will keep them on the forefront of best backup and data recovery practices." The deal allows Tandberg customers who outgrow the QuickStart Edition of Backup Exec for Windows Servers to upgrade to the full version of the product, which costs about $800. The QuickStart Edition of the backup software is only sold through OEM providers, and is limited to backing up a single server.

WinMagic Boosts Authentication Options with SecureDoc Encryption Software

WinMagic last week unveiled a new release of SecureDoc, its disk encryption software for desktop and laptop computers running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. SecureDoc prevents the loss of sensitive information by encrypting data during computers' pre-boot sequence, so that data on lost or stolen computers can't be accessed by unauthorized users, WinMagic says. With SecureDoc version 4.1, the Mississauga, Ontario, company has added support for Latin language passwords, sped up the encryption and decryption process, enabled administrators to synchronize SecureDoc passwords with users' Windows login passwords, and added support for additional cryptographic tokens and smart cards, including the Precise Biometrics 250 MC, the SONY Puppy line of fingerprint readers, and the JCOP20 device from IBM. In addition to running on individual laptops or PCs, SecureDoc comes in an Enterprise Server version for centralized network deployments from a SQL Server database.

Microsoft and Autodesk Boost Interoperability of CAD with Windows, Office, and ERP

Engineering and design firms, including the company designing New York City's Freedom Tower, should benefit as a result of work thatMicrosoft and Autodesk are doing to further integrate their software. Yesterday the two companies unveiled an expansion of their partnership that will see several new areas of integration between Autodesk's computer assisted design (CAD) software and Microsoft's desktop productivity software, ERP applications, and MSN Internet search engine. First, Microsoft is offering greater support for Autodesk's Design Web Format (DWF) file type, and now supports the opening of DWF files (via the use of Autodesk's free DWF Writer and DWF Viewer software) in Windows, Office, and the Great Plains and Axapta ERP suites. This integration, which is available now, is designed to make it easier for Autodesk users to share their 2-D and 3-D drawings, maps, and models by simply dragging and dropping the DWF file into the application window, and previewing, searching, printing, and e-mailing DWF files directly from Windows Explorer.

Secondly, in early 2006, Microsoft and Autodesk expect to unleash the new capability to search and retrieve DWF-based information, such as land parcel maps and manufacturing product specifications, posted on the Internet using MSN Search. This development will make it easier for project teams to find critical design specifications and information posted on the Internet, the companies say. Thirdly, in early 2007, Autodesk is planning to further the collaboration process even more by supporting Microsoft's Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) file type. "By adding XAML support to DWF, Microsoft users with PCs running the Windows Presentation Foundation will have the capability to universally view design-related data as well as manage and share complex 3-D design content more easily with downstream, non-CAD users," says Carol Bartz, chairman and CEO of the San Rafael, California-based company. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the architect of the building slated to sit at the former World Trade Center site, will benefit from the new integration, says Carl Galioto, a partner at SOM. "It is very important for us to work with the Microsoft platform and Autodesk solutions such as Buzzsaw [project management software] and DWF not only for collaboration amongst the engineers and consultants working on the Freedom Tower project, but also as information storage and exchange tools throughout the life of the project including the design phase," Galioto says.

Microsoft Gives Away Tool for Downloading POS Data Into Accounting Package

Microsoft last week unveiled a new free tool for linking its Office Small Business Accounting 2006 package with its Microsoft Point of Sale or Microsoft Retail Management System software. This add-in allows retailers to transfer point-of-sale data, including transactions and purchase orders, directly into their financial management software, which should benefit users by reducing manual data entry and allowing them to keep a closer eye on cash flow, Microsoft says. The tool was developed jointly with EVT Solutions, and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center at www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions/possolutions/accounting.

DataMirror Simplifies Setup and Management with Data Replication Tool

DataMirror recently announced a new release of its multiplatform data replication product, Transformation Server, which is used to pump data from one database to another for the purposes of loading a data warehouse, duplicating data sets for auditing or test purposes, and for migrating to new platforms. DataMirror has concentrated on making it easier to accomplish basic setup and management tasks with Transformation Server 5.3. For example, it has simplified the creation and deletion of integration projects, and made it easier to work with large table sets through a new table-selection interface that uses standard wildcards. There's also a new wizard for configuring audit processes and creating audit trails. During runtime, administrators can use a new latency monitoring and alerting tool that shows the health of data replication and alerts them when processes the latency, or delay, exceeds a given threshold. If conditions deteriorate, administrators can also stop replication objects from within this monitor; it also allows them to start replication objects. Other improvements have been made in the detection and resolution of conflicts that occur during bi-directional replication and in the generation of summary data for data consolidation projects, such as data warehousing. Transformation Server supports all major databases, including SQL Server, IBM DB2 and DB2/400, Oracle, Sybase, and others.

Software AG Supports the Standards with New Release of XML Middleware

Software AG, which bills itself as "the XML company," last week unveiled enhancements to its collection of four Business Integration products that rely on--you guessed it--XML. The new release of Software AG's Enterprise Business Process Manager (EBPM) product includes the capability to reuse existing Microsoft Visio diagrams and support for the Business Process Modeling Notations (BPMN) standard. Another integration product called Enterprise Information Integrator (EII) now supports UDDI registration of the Web services generated by the product, as well as WS-I compliance, Web service mapping, and the importing of Software AG's Adabas mainframe database, the company says. Support for business process execution language (BPEL) has been added to Software AG's Enterprise Service Integrator (ESI) product, which also features improved support for SOAP and UDDI. Lastly, the new release of Enterprise Legacy Integrator (ELI) can now register Web services in CentraSite, an embedded version of the Business Integration suite that Software AG jointly develops with Fujitsu.