| Network ‘secret agent’ from Centennial tackles |
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| by Scott Pettet | |
| Wednesday, 15 November 2006 | |
  
Network ‘secret agent’ from Centennial tackles
IT security vulnerabilities
~ Security.Advisor launched as research reveals that 70 per cent of businesses don’t know what’s on the network ~
~ agent provides more effective response to hidden security threats ~ SYDNEY - 15 NOVEMBER, 2006 - Centennial has today launched an innovative network security ‘scout’, to help IT professionals identify the software and firmware vulnerabilities hidden across the entire network.
Network ‘secret agent’ from Centennial tackles
IT security vulnerabilities
~ Security.Advisor launched as research reveals that 70 per cent of businesses don’t know what’s on the network ~
~ agent provides more effective response to hidden security threats ~ SYDNEY – 15 November, 2006 – Centennial Software has today launched an innovative network security ‘scout’, to help IT professionals identify the software and firmware vulnerabilities hidden across the entire network. Working with the latest version of Centennial’s Discovery asset management solution, Security.Advisor searches the network for vulnerabilities in software and hardware, pinpoints exactly where the security hotspots lie, and directs users to the right patches and remedial actions to solve the problem. On an IT network using Security.Advisor, an agent is present on each and every PC, ensuring complete security protection. The launch of Security.Advisor and its ability to provide automatic network-wide recognition of threat coincides with new research from Centennial, which reveals that 70 per cent of IT managers haven’t taken any action to ascertain exactly what assets are on the corporate network. The research was carried out at a UK event hosted by Centennial for IT professionals in the logistics, healthcare, retail and finance sectors. It also revealed that just 20 per cent of those questioned have carried out any kind of software audit to establish what is on their network and reach software asset management (SAM) compliance targets. “Even a small IT network can potentially harbor thousands of vulnerabilities, but this research proves that most IT managers probably don’t even know it. One network of less than 25 computers that we scanned with Security.Advisor contained over 250 separate vulnerabilities,” said Howard Waterson, Asia Pacific Regional Manager at Centennial. “In order to work out where the vulnerabilities lie, it’s vital that any IT manager must first have an accurate, up to date understanding of what’s on the network. Traditional tools don’t carry out a thorough audit before examining the problem, and as a result only tell half the story,” he continued. Security.Advisor works with Centennial’s Discovery tool to audit every aspect of the IT network and identify security hotspots. The audit covers software from a side range of vendors, and hardware including Cisco switches and routers. It also alerts administrators to 14 categories of ‘greynet’ software installed without permission, for example password cracking tools, games and peer-to-peer file sharing software. By comparing the information it finds against a comprehensive database of threats, Security.Advisor pinpoints risks down to individual PCs and devices. It also performs a ‘sanity check’ scan for users after patches have been installed, to check all vulnerabilities have been dealt with. “Relying on traditional patch management tools can give IT managers a false sense of security,” continued Waterson. “By using Discovery’s existing software and hardware recognition technology, and combining this with a comprehensive database of known security risks, you get a far more accurate view of the vulnerabilities actually on the network, even after patches have been supposedly deployed.” Available as an add-on component to Centennial Discovery 2006 Feature Pack 1 - also launched today, Security.Advisor allows administrators to customise the vulnerability management for their organisation. Combined with the latest version of Centennial’s Discovery.Visual network mapping add-on, Security.Advisor also produces colour-coded maps of the network, highlighting the areas of highest risk. For more information on Security.Advisor, visit www.centennial-software.com/securityadvisor About Centennial Software With more than four million licenses sold to blue-chip organisations around the world, Centennial Software (www.centennial-software.com <http://www.centennial-software.com> ) is a leading developer of IT asset discovery and security management solutions. Available through a global network of resellers and market-leading OEM vendors, Centennial Software’s solutions are designed to help organisations better manage their IT infrastructure, maintain compliance and reduce operational risks. The company operates offices in the USA, UK, Germany and Australia. |
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