As any sci-fi aficionado can attest, there's nothing like a good, strong force field to shield a space ship against destructive outside forces such as rogue meteors or attacks from the Dark Side.
And while no one has yet invented a universal force field to protect insurance data processing systems from attack, many technology vendors have developed security tools that help make such events less likely.
The following are several of this year's security technology introductions that have caught our eye:
o Comodo earlier this month announced an updated release of its Trustix Enterprise Firewall (TEF) version 4.8.1.
According to the Jersey City, N.J.-based Comodo, this is "an enterprise-class, open-source, Linux-based free firewall solution." It provides perimeter protection to corporate networks and "delivers the highest levels of security and protection out of the box," the company said.
TEF monitors network traffic, protecting the network against "unauthenticated" traffic or login attempts that could inject Trojans, worms or infected files into the network, said Comodo. The free software also includes a new anti-spam module for improved security.
The new release contains an Intrusion Detection System that also enables users to determine the source of intrusions, the company noted. Additional settings and other improvements make the system more configurable and easy to manage through a remote virtual private network connection.
According to Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and chief security architect of Comodo, the product "integrates multiple technologies to make it feasible to deploy comprehensive security services to more network locations."
For further details and to download the software free of charge, go to www.firewall.trustix.com.
o McAfee Inc. announced McAfee Anti-Theft File Protection, security software that provides privacy and theft protection for files store on a personal computer.
"By enabling PC users to lock their important files–such as bank statements, tax returns, business documents and even photos–in a digital vault, McAfee Anti-Theft can safeguard them against identity and PC thieves, hackers and others," said Santa Clara, Calif.-based McAfee.
The software is designed to enable consumers and small businesses to use the product regardless of what other security software they may have already installed, the company noted. "In just a few easy steps," users can create their own vaults, store sensitive information, and protect their vaults with a secure password, McAfee added.
Users can also create multiple vaults on the same PC, allowing individuals to keep their own personal vaults. In addition, if a password is forgotten, it can easily be reset by answering a number of verification questions created by the user, the company added.
McAfee Anti-Theft File Protection is available at us.mcafee.com for $29.99, the company said.
o NewSoftwares.net Inc. has released version 5.9.2 of Folder Lock, a security tool for all Microsoft Windows versions that is designed to password-protect files, folders and drives from unauthorized users.
According to Bakersfield, Calif.-based NewSoftwares.net, the product allows users to lock, hide, encrypt and password-protect any number of files, folders, drives, pictures and documents "in seconds."
Files can also be protected on USB Flash drives, memory sticks, rewritable CDs, floppies and notebook computers, the company said. Unique to Folder Lock is its ability to protect files in Safe Mode and DOS Mode, the company said.
Files remain protected if users boot their PCs with a floppy or CD, and even when users switch from one Windows platform to another, so that files protected in Windows XP remain protected in Windows 98, said NewSoftwares.net.
"You can work with Folder Lock in much the same way as you would with a safe in the physical world," said Steve Frank, manager at NewSoftwares.net. "Just like it is with a real safe, you have a special folder, named Locker, where you can keep any number of private files and folders."
Once the Locker is locked up, he added, all files inside become inaccessible for unauthorized users, "be they your spouse, co-workers, cyber-hackers or computer viruses. You can simply lock the folder, scramble its content, or encrypt it using 256-bit Blowfish encryption, which is the strongest today."
Folder Lock features a Hacker Attempt Monitoring feature that records a log of all invalid passwords used with respect to their time and date. Users can also set the program to lock or shut down a PC if more than three invalid passwords have been entered, the company noted.
Folder Lock 5.9.2 runs under Windows Vista/2003/XP/2000/NT/ME/98x and costs $35 for a single-user license, the company said. Licensed customers are entitled to free lifetime upgrades and technical support.
Details are available at www.newsoftwares.net.
o Panda Security recently announced Panda Managed Office Protection, a new security-as-a-service solution for small and midsize businesses.
As a hosted service, Managed Office Protection provides a Web console that allows organizations to manage their protection at any time and from any location, said Glendale, Calif.-based Panda.
The remote Web management console enables secure configuration of information technology resources from any computer connected to the Internet, the company explained. Profiles can be assigned across an organization to adapt security measures according to individual or departmental requirements.
This service, the company added, provides "complete protection without the need to invest in dedicated equipment." It is also well suited to large companies with a significant number of geographically dispersed offices that require remote management.
Additional features include proactive anti-malware protection against known and unknown threats, automated updates, and periodic security audits that help enforce compliance, said Panda.
Pricing for Panda Managed Office Protection starts at $40 per seat, the company said.
Further details are available at www.pandasecurity.com.
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