Novell has announced enterprise security software that enables businesses to securely authenticate each user who signs on to a network easily and safely. BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3.5, Novell`s Internet security management suite, is the first solution that integrates strong user authentication, regardless of the user`s physical location, with the powerful management capabilities of the market-proven Novell Directory Services (NDS).
The BorderManager Enterprise Edition suite includes new features that provide security protection for companies extending their business as well as increasingly mobile workforce to the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Topping the list of new features in BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3.5 is strong authentication -- the use of smart cards and tokens to manage secure passwords and identify users who access the network -- regardless of their sign-on location. This authentication method ensures that corporate information cannot be accessed or altered by unauthorized parties while providing ease-of-access to mobile users who change offices and work locations frequently.
The solution announced today by Novell is the first in a planned series of robust mobile security credentials, such as smart cards and hardware and software tokens. These credentials are intended for use with critical security applications, such as delivering remote employee access to secure data on corporate networks or business-to-business electronic commerce.
Strong authentication is a critical requirement for enterprises wishing to deploy the Internet as a communication and commerce channel. According to the December 1997 UBS Securities report on Internet-based Electronic Commerce, strong authentication has been an increasingly important issue for businesses, with the total authentication market expanding to $2.6 billion (about R18-billion) over the next few years.
BorderManager Enterprise Edition is a high-performance Internet security management suite from Novell that addresses the industry trend towards consolidated management of security services. BorderManager Enterprise Edition includes firewall, virtual private networking (VPN), strong authentication and caching services all integrated with Novell Directory Services, enabling businesses to manage the entire suite of Internet security services from a single, centralised administration console.
BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3.5 provides an extensible security management framework that allows companies to add security services as business needs dictate, and secure single sign-on to network services as well as directory-based policy management that lowers security administration costs by up to 70 percent. This new version builds on the previous success of BorderManager, a fourteen-time industry award winner, now deployed worldwide in leading business and government intranet and Internet infrastructures.
"With the explosion of business on the Internet, traditional companies are struggling with protecting their network resources and securely managing their users while determining how they are going to participate in this new online world," said Novell product and SE manager James Stewart. "With all the security issues associated with the Internet, there are simply too many chances for error if administrators have to set up and manage each part of their Internet security individually. Clearly, consolidation of security management in a single management paradigm such as Novell Directory Services will be the defacto way to manage users as companies extend their business to the Internet."
Responding to customer demand for enhanced password security, Novell has extended its partnership strategy to offer a Novell/ActivCard, branded token that offers customers the highest level of security authentication available today. BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3.5 offers stronger authentication features and even more secure Internet and remote network access:
New authentication policies in NDS allows administrators to manage both third-party tokens as well as the accompanying users requiring strong authentication. Administrators can assign and associate users to tokens and manage token-tasks such as initializing tokens, resynchronising, importing and storing token data into NDS.
Token authentication throughout with both ActivCard and Security Dynamics (SDI) tokens as well as any RADIUS-compliant token vendor. ActivCard allows users to take advantage of strong, easy-to-use two-factor authentication (PIN and token/smart card), to securely access the suite of BorderManager services. SDI enables BorderManager to both co-exist and manage tokens in a Security Dynamics environment. Tokens can be used not only with the authentication service, but with the VPN, proxy and SOCKS components as well.
VPN Client for Windows NT and Windows 95/98 in BorderManager Enterprise Edition will support both Dial-Up networking as well as LAN/Broadband access. Other new features include: text entries for packet filter logs, alerting enhancements that allow an administrator to selectively choose to enable or disable any of the BorderManager trap and information alerts; Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) support that acts as a non-caching RTSP Real Audio proxy; a new modular install that allows administrators to choose which service to install; multiple server install improvements; and the addition of Telnet Proxy.
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