In the wake of what seems like daily attacks on corporations and institutions by hackers from around the world, HP South Africa has announced new software solutions and initiatives for security-conscious local companies.
That`s the word from Gary de Menezes, software business manager: Middle East and Africa at HP, who says the company is positioning its new Webenforcer software as the answer to securing Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000 environments.
"Last week we saw international publications such as Reuters and the Washington Post reporting on hackers from Russia and the Ukraine stealing more than a million credit card numbers from 40 commercial web sites across 20 US states," he says.
"While this effected companies stateside, it`s all too easy for that threat to proliferate; companies in southern Africa simply cannot ignore that potential. That means sourcing, implementing and constantly updating the most appropriate security solution."
That ethic is fine - after all, security makes perfect business sense. The problem is, what kind of security is "appropriate". The market is flooded with a plethora of options ranging from firewalls, network security solutions, application, data and virus protection tools, to name just a few.
De Menezes says the ideal solution secures each area of the business: the people, the processes and the data. However, he says, every company has to start somewhere.
"It all depends upon their specific needs - but data [and access to it] is the most obvious place to start. How valuable is a company`s data and what kind of data is it? How would it [or its customers] be impacted if there were a security breach? And how widespread an enterprise does it need to protect?"
While HP has other weapons in its security arsenal that answer these and other questions for Unix enterprises, HP is seeking to position Webenforcer in the small, medium and large Windows NT and Windows 2000 corporate enterprise space.
Part of the company`s recently-introduced Netaction software suite, Webenforcer searches for vulnerabilities in Microsoft enterprise environments - specifically those on the network perimeter - automatically fixes them and then protects against future unauthorised changes and attacks.
It`s not just a once-off fix though; the software is also closely tied to a security update subscription service from HP. The updates distributed by this service are automatically incorporated into a Webenforcer installation and a customer is subsequently protected against the latest threats.
This offers some significant benefits to an organisation with a widespread Windows-based enterprise.
"While automating the discovery and fixing of vulnerabilities helps reduce the IT staff`s time spent on the problem, it also decreases downtime and therefore generates a lower cost of ownership," says de Menezes, adding that the solution`s price tag is itself a cost-saver. "The amount that companies pay for Webenforcer is often significantly lower than the bills they could incur from security consultants."
More information on HP Webenforcer for Windows NT and Windows 2000 can be found at www.hp.com/security.
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