SecureData Security, part of JSE-listed SecureData Holdings, the sole sub-Saharan distributor for Trend Micro, today announced that the latter is helping enterprises extend the life of out-of-support systems so they can migrate off Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server and Windows XP Service Pack 2 at their own pace.
Although systems with older operating environments may be no longer supported, many enterprises have not yet been able to upgrade to newer versions and are, as a result, unfortunately increasing the attack surface of their organisations.
Although Microsoft announced that after 13 July 2010 it will no longer provide support, issue bug fixes, patch releases, or provide workarounds for its Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 family of operating systems, many enterprises have not yet been able to upgrade to newer versions, leaving them vulnerable to new malware and other cyber-criminal exploits that target these operating systems.
Trend Micro Deep Security, the company's flagship solution for virtual patching, and Trend Micro OfficeScan products with Intrusion Defence Firewall, can help shield organisations still using Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 against vulnerabilities until they can move to newer platforms.
"Often, for various reasons, migration to a newer operating system version on deadline is simply too difficult, and organisations need an immediate, cost-effective stop-gap 'virtual patching' solution to maintain their security posture. With support for Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 ending in July 2010, Trend Micro's virtual patching solutions will help enterprises ensure a level of protection for these and other unsupported systems," commented Lee Bristow, Product Manager at SecureData for Trend Micro's products.
“Trend Micro's virtual patching technologies, found in Deep Security, and OfficeScan with Intrusion Defence Firewall, can shield vulnerabilities in critical systems,” continued Bristow. “They allow customers to deploy patches on a more scheduled basis, thereby reducing system exposure and frustration associated with patch management.”
Trend Micro Deep Security with virtual patching helps reduce system exposure for servers and endpoints running Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 through:
* Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDS/IPS), which shields against known and unknown vulnerabilities that may exist in the operating system and can provide zero-day protection in the absence of a patch.
* Enterprise-grade, bi-directional, and stateful firewall, which reduces the risk of unauthorised access to the server by allowing communications over ports and protocols necessary for correct server operation, and by blocking all other ports and protocols.
* Recommendation scanning, which streamlines security update management by automatically recommending what rules need to be deployed to protect a given system based on the OS version, service pack, patch level, and installed applications.
* Security updates from a dedicated team of security experts, which help to ensure the latest protection by continuously monitoring multiple sources of vulnerability disclosure information to identify and correlate new relevant threats and vulnerabilities.
* Protection across physical, virtualised and cloud deployments, which helps to ensure that vulnerabilities are shielded, no matter how or where the Windows 2000 systems are deployed. In addition to providing guest-based protection, Deep Security leverages VMware APIs to provide virtualisation-aware protection, maximising deployment flexibility.
Trend Micro OfficeScan with Intrusion Defence Firewall protects Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 Desktops through:
* Intrusion Defence Firewall, which supplements the highly effective OfficeScan client-level security with network-level Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS). Intrusion Defence Firewall shields vulnerabilities in Windows-based desktops and laptops and common client applications, delivering zero-day protection from known and unknown threats. Intrusion Defence Firewall leverages plug-in architecture for instant, live deployment to previously installed OfficeScan clients and is easily deployed and managed from previously installed OfficeScan central management console.
In addition to the Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 operating system family, Deep Security also provides out-of-the-box vulnerability protection for over a hundred applications, including database, Web, e-mail and FTP servers. This includes Web application protection rules that defend systems against SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting attacks, and other Web application vulnerabilities. In addition, Intrusion Defence Firewall solution provides virtual patching purpose-built for all Windows-based desktops running OfficeScan.
Deep Security and OfficeScan are part of Trend Micro Enterprise Security, a tightly integrated offering of content security products, services and solutions, which is powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure. Trend Micro Enterprise Security delivers maximum protection from emerging threats while minimising the cost and complexity of security management.
For further information, please contact Lee Bristow at tel. +27 11 790 2500; fax +27 11 790 2599; e-mail leeb@securedata.co.za.
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Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the latest Web threats. Trend Micro's flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe. Many of these solutions are powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, a next generation cloud-client content security infrastructure designed to protect customers from Web threats.
SecureData
SecureData is a specialist, value-added distributor of perimeter, application, network, endpoint, storage and identity information security solutions and risk management solutions for the African sub-continent and Indian Ocean islands. A cross-section of the available solutions from SecureData illustrates wide coverage of the following information security and risk management domains: business continuity, security appliances and devices, hardware authentication, identity and access management, security and vulnerability management, secure content management, threat management and security services.
SecureData's information security and risk management solutions include best-of-breed solutions, devices and appliances for the perimeter, data centres, applications, network, endpoints, messaging and Web. In addition, as a value-add to vendor, channel and customer, SecureData also provides a full complement of support, pre-sales and professional services around the solutions positioned in each discrete security vertical.
For more information, visit SecureData at http://www.securedata.co.za.
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