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NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Ellen Libenson
Symark Software
(800) 234-9072
Dan Borgasano/Kara Yi
Schwartz Communications
(415) 512-0770

SYMARK SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES POWERBROKER 5.0

Premier Access Control Solution Simplifies Compliance through Entitlement Reporting and Mitigates Insider Threat with Robust Enforcement of Access Control Policies

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - May 7, 2007 - Symark Software, the leading provider of UNIX and Linux security administration solutions, today announced PowerBroker 5.0, the industrys most comprehensive solution for authorization and access control within heterogeneous UNIX/Linux IT environments. PowerBroker 5.0 now includes entitlement reporting capabilities that provide a detailed list of the commands that IT administrators and other users can run, on what systems and when. The new product also incorporates an access control list feature that simplifies the designation of access rights without requiring lengthy policies to be written. PowerBroker 5.0 helps organizations comply with PCI DSS, SOX, HIPAA and other regulations by enabling security managers to more easily grant selective administrative privileges while safeguarding the root password and controlling access to applications/commands, directories/files and permissions on various administrative tasks.

PowerBroker protects the root or superuser account from internal exploitation by a rogue employee or a hacker that has breached the network. By granularly delegating what tasks can be performed as the root password and by whom, PowerBroker helps prevent the alteration or deletion of critical system files, unauthorized access of confidential data and the deletion of logged events and audit trails. PowerBroker protects the root account by granularly binding specific root-level tasks to UNIX/Linux user IDs so that the root password does not need to be disclosed to operators and systems administrators. Totally non-intrusive, the program reduces the risk of accidental damage, theft of digital assets, or malicious activities without altering or disrupting the operating systema practice that can violate software and systems warranties.

The new entitlement reporting functionality included in PowerBroker 5.0 lists the commands that systems administrators and other users are authorized to execute, including any constraints applied to their access privileges. This demonstrates to auditors the enforcement of segregation of duties and that steps are being taken to create a secure access control infrastructure.

We use PowerBroker to launch our Summit Spectrum banking system application on our UNIX server so we are assured a safe, secure environment, said Pat Waddell, IT manager at Florida Central Credit Union (Tampa, Fla.). With Spectrum running with PowerBroker, we can secure and protect our members account and financial information while meeting compliance initiatives such as the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC).

Symarks PowerBroker 5.0 offers a multitude of new features designed to enhance security functionalities and simplify delegation of administrator privileges, including:
  • Comprehensive Entitlement Reporting - Provides reports detailing the commands that systems administrators and other users are authorized to execute and on what systemsincluding any time-of-day constraints. Entitlement reporting supports security and compliance best-practices by ensuring the security of an organizations access control infrastructure. A built-in GUI report writer promptly creates the entitlement reports by incorporating a Web-based interface with a wizard-style workflow, eliminating the traditionally time-consuming process of manually creating entitlement reports.
  • Access Control Lists - Simplifies the definition of access privileges by enabling PowerBroker administrators to specify the most commonly used access control mechanisms for various users or user groups without having to compose lengthy policy scripts for each scenario. The access control lists can be set using a number of different granular parameters, including user name, system, command, time of day and day of week, resulting in a more complete view of each users specific access rights to various systems. This allows administrators to produce detailed lists of users permissions for internal and external auditors to demonstrate compliance with various regulations.
  • Centralized Log Pooling - Collects and stores PowerBroker logs from multiple servers onto one PowerBroker server, enabling administrators to review and manage logs from a centralized location. The log pooling feature allows for the more rapid discovery of anomalies as well as for a decrease in administrative overhead commonly associated with any log-review process.
  • Packaged Installation - Provides native package install bundles for Solaris, Linux, HPUX and AIX systems to facilitate the installation of PowerBroker 5.0 across large heterogeneous environments. Administrators can automatically deploy PowerBroker to multiple servers from a remote location, reducing the time and cost associated with having to locally deploy licenses in multiple locations throughout the organization. The packaged bundles also track the installation process and updates activity in a database that is part of the operating system.
For organizations running ERP, SCM, CRM and other critical applications on Linux and UNIX systems, deploying a solution to protect the super user and other administrator passwords is necessary to combat insider threat and comply with industry and federal regulations, said Scott Crawford, senior analyst at Enterprise Management Associates. Symarks PowerBroker provides enterprises with a robust solution for securely delegating administrative privileges, and the new functionality available in PowerBroker 5.0 makes this process more efficient for non-UNIX programmers. Granular definition of access privileges and the addition of entitlement reporting enhance PowerBrokers range of measures for delegating access rights, capturing detailed logs and creating comprehensive reports.

PowerBroker has long been the industrys leading solution for cost-effectively helping organizations protect administrator passwordthe virtual keys to the kingdomoffering far more comprehensive capabilities than any of the existing open source tools, said Robert H. Farber, chief operating officer at Symark. The new functionality available in PowerBroker 5.0 adds to an already rich set of features, making Symarks flagship product the most effective technology on the market today. PowerBroker 5.0 is a non-intrusive, easy-to-use solution that will help enterprises across the globe address insider threat as both a security best-practices measure and a compliance necessity.
Pricing & Availability
PowerBroker 5.0 is available now. For pricing and other information about PowerBroker 5.0, please contact Symark at (800) 234-9072 or visit www.symark.com.
About Symark
Founded in 1985, Symark is the leading provider of security administration solutions for heterogeneous IT environments. Symark PowerBroker enables granular delegation of administrative privileges while restricting UNIX/Linux root account access. Symark PowerPassword, User Management Edition provides UNIX/Linux user account management along with login and password security policies. Symark PowerKeeper provides storage and secure access of administrative passwords for multiple servers, applications, and network devices. All three products offer central administration and detailed audit logs. Symark offers extensive expertise in enterprise computing security, and its products are backed by unmatched technical support. For more information, visit us at www.symark.com.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symark and its products, please view the Symark web site at www.symark.com.

Symark, the Symark logo, PowerPassword, PowerBroker, and PowerKeeper are trademarks or registered trademarks, in the United States and certain other countries, of Symark Software. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.

 

 

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