NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS 10/11/04 Today's focus: Configuresoft aims to assess networks for regulatory compliance
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Configuresoft's Rapid Security Configuration Assessment �� Program * Links related to Windows Networking Tips * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Veritas Meta Group Whitepaper Database Infrastructure Performance Challenges: Approaches to Better Manage Application Database and Storage Subsystem Performance Corporate relational databases now manage the majority of business-critical data within the enterprise. IT organizations face continuing challenges in managing increasingly complex, data-driven application environments. Read this white paper to discover several factors which will converge to challenge the IT organization's ability to manage its database software infrastructure. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=84730 _______________________________________________________________ WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE NEW DATA CENTER? Sign up for Network World's Data Center Newsletter in which Johna Till Johnson and the team at Nemertes Research will provide an ongoing assessment of current data center business drivers and future trends; concrete advice and guidance for IT executives seeking to consolidate data centers, improve disaster recovery, and deploy virtualization techniques. Click here to subscribe: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=84824 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Configuresoft aims to assess networks for regulatory compliance By Dave Kearns I'm a big fan of Configuresoft's Enterprise Configuration Manager product. If you aren't familiar with ECM, the company describes it as "a comprehensive configuration management solution that ensures operational compliance to standards and best-practice guidelines throughout a computing infrastructure." According to Configuresoft, ECM collects detailed critical configuration data from servers and workstations on the network and stores that information in a centralized SQL database for immediate access, analysis, and reporting. The company adds that these capabilities enable IT organizations to optimize their operational expectations, while ensuring security compliance with regulatory mandates such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Sarbanes-Oxley and FISMA. <aside> I wasn't sure what FISMA was, but I knew it wasn't about motorcycles ( <http://www.fisma.com/> ) or U.K. non-profits (<http://www.fisma.org/> ) or Software Measurement in Finland (<http://www.fisma-network.org/> ). What it's about is the Federal Information Security Management Act. Learn more (if you need to) from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0823/web-fisma-08-27-04.asp> </aside> ECM collects, collates and catalogs vast amounts of data. Data that's necessary to meet compliance requirements for the regulations listed as well as many others - and more still in the planning stages. What ECM can't do is to digest all of the data for you. Provided you have a smallish network, and provided you have the necessary time, then you can do the analysis and determine your security vulnerabilities and needs in light of the regulatory requirements. Well, provided you're up to speed on which regulations and which requirements you need to fulfill. If that sounds like a daunting task, it is. Configuresoft talked to its customers and listened to their requests. So this week the company is launching a program designed for large enterprise clients concerned about the security configurations of their Microsoft Windows environment and subsequent issues regarding compliance to IT or governmental standards and regulations. The Rapid Security Configuration Assessment (RSCA) Program is intended for organizations that lack the time, objectivity and expertise to accurately assess vulnerabilities to their infrastructure. RSCA is designed to quickly identify what areas in an organization are vulnerable and creates a prioritized action plan, which offers a running start for securing an organization's most vulnerable assets while meeting regulatory needs. Typically, An RSCA engagement will use Configuresoft's ECM to quickly and accurately collect detailed configuration information from a sample of servers and workstations. Then Configuresoft's Center for Policy and Compliance experts will analyze this data to assess the environments' security level based on IT Best Practices and Government mandates. The Center has developed several RSCA tracks tailored for various industries and needs which include "RSCA - Microsoft's Securing and Hardening Guides", "RSCA - SOX" and "RSCA - HIPAA." People trained in the implementation of the regulations as well as in the intricacies of Windows networking will do the work that you and your team have neither the time or, in many cases, the expertise to handle. Pricing wasn't available to me last week when I wrote this, but it won't be cheap. Still, how much is it worth to keep you and your bosses out of court - and out of jail? RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS Jam-packed ConfigureSoft Enterprise Configuration Manager Network World Windows Networking Tips Newsletter, 06/18/03 http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/nt/2003/0616nt2.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Dave Kearns Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print "Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>. Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management. Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these respective addresses: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books, manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing, technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Veritas Meta Group Whitepaper Database Infrastructure Performance Challenges: Approaches to Better Manage Application Database and Storage Subsystem Performance Corporate relational databases now manage the majority of business-critical data within the enterprise. IT organizations face continuing challenges in managing increasingly complex, data-driven application environments. Read this white paper to discover several factors which will converge to challenge the IT organization's ability to manage its database software infrastructure. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=84729 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Breaking Windows networking news from Network World, updated daily: http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/win2000.html Archive of the Windows Networking Tips newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/nt/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE THE NEW DATA CENTER Today's top companies are accelerating toward Web-based computing. That means building the new data center -- where grids, virtualization, autonomic computing and other big changes shatter the traditional boundaries on applications and information, and bring the extended enterprise to life. Learn about The New Data Center on NW Fusion's Research Center at: <http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/datacenter.html> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2 International subscribers click here: http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html _______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx> To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Preferences.aspx> To change your e-mail address, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx> Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to this message. 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