Info about remote access news, what is remote access, entrust identityguard provides strong authentication for nortel remote access

Timeline: Attacks on Medica's computers

Medica Health Plans alleges that two employees were responsible for a series of attacks that crippled parts of its system and exposed confidential business information.

Jan. 10: E-mails sent by Medica executives and officials are copied into secret files on the system. By Feb. 9, these files contain nearly 90 e-mails from 12 key employees.

Jan. 11: An unauthorized program, often used by hackers, is installed on the system and records account names and passwords as users type them.

Jan. 21: Three computer servers, which help direct traffic and information within the system, are sabotaged and become unusable.

Jan. 27: Another computer server is sabotaged, blocking remote access to vendors and employees.

Jan. 29: At 2:30 a.m., an intruder downloads 430 megabytes of data, an amount equivalent to 100,000 Microsoft Word pages.

Jan. 30: Another unauthorized download occurs, this one 171 megabytes of data.

Feb. 9: Eleven employee accounts are sabotaged, shutting off computer access for the chairman of the board and information security personnel. Investigators later trace this attack to a computer in the back corner of a Medica training room.

Microsoft Looking For Fix To New IE Flaw

SEATTLE -- Microsoft is working to come up with a fix for a flaw in its Internet Explorer browser that could let hackers gain remote access to computer systems through malicious Web sites. A patch is not available yet, but some security experts are playing down the risk. Microsoft said it knows of no customers who have been attacked. The company urged Internet users to be careful about opening up Web links in e-mails and said it will release a security update once it has completed an investigation.

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What is remote access?

Remote access is the ability to get access to a computer or a network from a remote distance. In corporations, people at branch offices, telecommuters, and people who are travelling may need access to the corporation's network. Home users get access to the Internet through remote access to an Internet service provider ( ISP ).Dial-up connection through desktop, notebook, or handheld computer modem over regular telephone lines is a common method of remote access.

Remote access is also possible using a dedicated line between a computer or a remote local area network and the "central" or main corporate local area network. A dedicated line is more expensive and less flexible but offers faster data rates. Integrated Services Digital Network ( ISDN ) is a common method of remote access from branch offices since it combines dial-up with faster data rates. wireless ,cable modem , and Digital Subscriber Line ( DSL ) technologies offer other possibilities for remote access.

A remote access server is the computer and associated software that is set up to handle users seeking access to network remotely. Sometimes called a communication server, a remote access server usually includes or is associated with a firewall server to ensure security and a router that can forward the remote access request to another part of the corporate network. A remote access server may include or work with a modem pool manager so that a small group of modems can be shared among a large number of intermittently present remote access users.

A remote access server may also be used as part of a virtual private network( VPN ).

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Track your stolen car via satellite

BANGALORE: Imagine your car has been stolen and all that you need to do is to sit in front of a PC and make it 'immovable' where ever it may be. Sounds improbable but a new device being developed by Bangalore-based MobiApps can make this happen.

Sensing market opportunities in improved communication networks, and growing population of cars, MobiApps is planning to introduce this yet-to-be-named device next year.

The MobiApps device, which will sit inside the vehicle, will essentially stops the car engine from functioning by taking instructions from a satellite-based communications network.

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In addition, it will also be able to monitor fuel levels, oil and gas level in the vehicle, tyre pressure, brake fluids and other essential resources in real-time.

MobiApps is looking at offering its device as an OEM product for some of the car makers globally. "We are also in talks with some of Indian car makers such as Tatas for the implementation," MobiApps country head of India operations Amitabh Satyam said.

The device is based on the company's telematics platform. Telematics enables remote access to vehicle data over a wireless network. MobiApps offers hybrid communication products using converged wireless communications technologies such as 802.11, GPRS, CDMA, and ORBCOMM's Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite system to provide global communications capabilities to a number of industrial applications such as containers, heavy equipment, marine vehicles, light motor vehicles or any movable asset.

The products provide online information from anywhere in the world relating to the exact location, speed, direction and status of the vehicle.

MobiApps has already made available its in-car navigation system, the m-Drive and an anti-theft device, the m-Jack.

The m-Drive effectively employs telematics to offer a wide range of value-added services to customers, such as real-time driving directions with digital maps and voice prompts, points of interest and user defined natural voice prompts.

It also offers easy upgrades to include MP3 player, internet browsing and e-mails. More importantly, it can be fitted as an after market fitment in cars.

According to Mr Satyam, the company is looking at launching new solutions based on GPS - a satellite technology. "Currently, we are offering fleet management, and asset tracking solutions. We are now in the process of introducing the new vehicle-tracking device by the end of this year," he said.

The fleet management solutions tracks and communicates vehicles and provides accurate network-wide location information on an entire fleet like real-time monitoring of goods, passengers and vehicles.

"Asset tracking enables companies to manage their fleet operations efficiently. It helps in real-time vehicle tracking and managers can monitor and review routes taken, stops made, speed of travel and other operating parameters," said Mr Satyam.

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has implemented a fleet management system to track the schedule, operational time of the each vehicle. Transport Corporation of India also has a similar fleet management solution.

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3am Labs releases web-based helpdesk tool for companies with remote users

June 15, 2005 -- (MobileVillage) -- 3am Labs, provider of the LogMeIn remote PC access software, has announced LogMeIn Rescue, a web-based helpdesk platform that enables companies to provide remote tech support to notebook-toting remote workers.

According to 3am Labs, LogMeIn Rescue enables secure control of a remote computer for rapid incident resolution without pre-installing software, or requiring end users to have administrative rights on their machine. Sessions are initiated online, either by end users or as directed by support personnel. A small applet is downloaded to the end user system that enables temporary remote access. The entire remote support process is permission based, and end users must explicitly grant permission to support personnel for Remote View, Remote Control, File Transfer, and System Information access levels.

Once connected, LogMeIn Rescue provides a view of system information, including running services and processes, installed applications, and recent system events, so IT staff can spot-check system health and status. A set of incident resolution tools includes Chat, Desktop Viewing, Remote Control, and File Transfer.

Session recording capabilities provide audit trails for legislative compliance or training purposes, and History and Notes recordings tie incidents to specific machines, providing support staff with an understanding of past issues that may influence the current support session. A tabbed user interface enables support technicians to manage up to three active support and chat sessions in a single window.

LogMeIn Rescue's online Administration Center features 10 online support channels that can be inserted into support web pages to offer customers a live support connection to technicians. Channels can be configured to specific technician groups so that helpdesk organizations can distribute support incidents across specialized teams.

The Administration Center is pre-configured to work "out-of-the-box." Its graphical organization tree enables even large support organizations to be up and running within just hours -- and includes the ability to configure Administrators, Technicians, Groups, and Support Channels and define the permissions of each.

Key Features of LogMeIn Rescue include:

Technician Console
* Manage three active sessions at once in a single window with multi-session Remote Control and Chat
* Connect directly to customers within seconds using a 6 digit PIN Code
* Transfer files such as patches and software updates
* View History and Notes captured from previous support sessions
* Use custom, predefined text for immediate response to common requests
* Reboot and reconnect to end user systems for seamless support sessions
* Perform fast remote control with patent-pending technology
* Seamless firewall traversal

Administration Center
* Create Administrators and Technicians, and assign and manage their permissions at a granular level
* Use up to 10 dedicated online support channels to feed live support sessions to specific Technicians and Technician groups
* Gain a live view of all waiting and active sessions
* Generate reports of Technician statistics and activity
* Create and customize support pages
* 256-bit SSL encryption
* Multi-level, permission-based access
* Auto-revocation of access rights when session is terminated

LogMeIn Rescue can be used with remote computers running on Windows 98, 2000, XP, or Server 2003 and utilizing any type of broadband connectivity (i.e., T1, cable modem, ISDN, or DSL).

For a full list of features, see the Logmeinrescue.com site. LogMeIn Rescue will be available in July for a price of $5 per session, or $99 a month per technician seat. There are no setup fees. The software is also available on a per incident basis.

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Entrust IdentityGuard Provides Strong Authentication for Nortel Remote Access

Entrust IdentityGuard 7.2 makes cost-effective strong authentication available for Nortel enterprise remote access customers

DALLAS, June 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Entrust, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTU ), a world leader in securing digital identities and information, today announced the integration of the Entrust IdentityGuard solution with a market-leading remote access solution from Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT ; TSX: NT), Nortel VPN Router (formerly Contivity), to help enable organizations deploy industry- leading security to protect the enterprise without having to incur the typical high costs of strong authentication hardware devices. This integration makes low-cost two-factor authentication for global remote access available for use with one of the market leading products in remote access, and has been certified Entrust Ready status under Entrust's global partner program.

Entrust IdentityGuard is a new strong authentication solution that replaces more expensive and traditional battery-powered tokens. The Entrust IdentityGuard solution makes use of a unique grid of characters and numbers that are in turn used to answer a random challenge, generated when accessing enterprise remote access gateways or sensitive applications.

"One of the strengths of emerging remote access systems is that they can be used to grant access to customers and partners in addition to employees. The key to that access is the ability to positively identify the user," said Charles Kolodgy, research director of Security Products at IDC. "Entrust IdentityGuard provides a simple, cost effective and secure method for performing this user authentication."

"There are millions of remote access users worldwide that need strong authentication to secure access to their networks, to protect key information like corporate IP and sensitive customer information. In the past, the choices were largely limited to expensive, battery-powered tokens," pointed out Kevin Simzer, Senior Vice President at Entrust. "Entrust IdentityGuard changes the entire enterprise security landscape. Now, enterprises can realize the cost savings delivered by Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) with affordable security. This integration with Nortel, a long-time Entrust partner and one of the industry leaders in remote access control technologies, is critical to help meet the demand for strong authentication with remote access at a low cost."

Entrust has worked rigorously to provide for a painless integration of Entrust IdentityGuard with the Nortel VPN Router. Entrust has architected the solution such that it is possible for organizations using Nortel remote access products to make only minor configuration modifications to their current gateway, with no requirement for client-side changes, reducing both cost and time for deployment. The Entrust Ready testing environment leveraged industry leader Funk Software's Steel-Belted Radius Server as the certified option for Radius in combination with Nortel VPN Router.

About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world's most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, Nortel delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world's greatest challenges. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries.

About Entrust Entrust, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTU ) is a world-leader in securing digital identities and information. Over 1,400 enterprises and government agencies in more than 50 countries use Entrust solutions to help secure the digital lives of their citizens, customers, employees and partners. Our proven software and services can help customers in achieving regulatory and corporate compliance, while helping to turn security challenges such as identity theft and e-mail security into business opportunities. Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. In Canada, Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust Limited. All Entrust product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Entrust, Inc. or Entrust Limited. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to a new version of the Entrust IdentityGuard product that Entrust expects to release and the expected benefits of such new release, and such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are delays or failure to complete development and/or testing of this new release, failure of this new release to support or interoperate with various hardware and software products used by typical enterprise, government and/or service provider customers, delays in the training of Entrust's sales/marketing forces in respect to the capabilities of the new release, undetected software errors or bugs in the new release, competitive pressures, market acceptance of the new release, changes in customer requirements, governmental regulations including failure to procure the necessary export classifications for the new release, general economic conditions and the risk factors detailed from time to time in Entrust's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation Entrust's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. Entrust cautions investors that it might not update any or all of the foregoing forward-looking statements.

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Microsoft working to fix new Internet Explorer flaw

By Elizabeth M. Gillespie, The Associated Press SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is working to come up with a fix for a flaw in its Internet Explorer browser that could let hackers gain remote access to computer systems through malicious Web sites.

A patch was not immediately available, though security experts played down the risk.

"If the user doesn't browse a malicious Web site, then the user isn't even under attack," said Gerhard Eschelbeck, chief technology officer at Qualys Inc., a security company based in Redwood Shores, Calif.

Stephen Toulouse, a program manager for the software maker's Security Response Center, said the component that's the root of the problem does not come standard in the Windows operating system.

In an update to a security advisory the company had issued the day before, Microsoft said Friday that machines running Visual Studio 2002 without the Service Pack 1 update, or Office 2003 with Service Pack 3, could be vulnerable.

Microsoft said it knew of no customers who had been attacked.

The company urged Internet users to be careful about opening up Web links in e-mails and said it would release a security update once it had completed its investigation.

Thursday's advisory came after a French security research team published a "proof-of-concept exploit" showing how hackers could take advantage of the vulnerability.

Without referring to the exploit specifically, Microsoft said the flaw "was not disclosed responsibly, potentially putting computer users at risk."

The disclosure came just days after a series of computer worms, programmed to take advantage of a flaw in Microsoft's Windows operating system, caused delays in operations at big companies and government offices.

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India's telecom department to plead on FDI hike

NEW DELHI - Department of Telecom is gearing up to approach cabinet shortly seeking approval for the changes in the original cabinet announcement of Febraury this year on the hike of FDI ceiling to 74% from 49%. The need to go to the cabinet again has been necessiated as there has been changes in the original cabinet announcement of this year on FDI increase.

The changes pertain to the contentitious issue of foreign shareholding in public sector banks and financial institutions and conditional remote access to network vendors, among other changes. The draft cabinet note has been prepared and circulated to the concerned ministries and departments for their views for "minor changes" in the original cabinet note of February this year.

After the receipt of their views, the proposal will be sent to the cabinet for approval, sources said, adding it would be done shortly. Then DoT would approach Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to notify the changes. The draft says foreign shareholding only in PSU banks and FIs would not be counted toward the FDI ceiling of 74% in the telecom services sector while the same would not be applicable to private sector banks. So the FDI component in ICICI, IDBI and HDFC would be considered as foreign equity.

The other changes include a "correction" period of granting four months to the telecom companies to bring their surrogately increased (if any) foreign shareholding pattern to the appropraite level and nod to remote access only from pre-approved vendors.

The cabinet had approved a proposal raising the sectoral cap for FDI in telecom from 49% to 74% where FDI would include FIIs, NRIs, overseas corporate bodies, FCCB, ADRs, GDRs, convertible preferential shares, proportionate foreign investment in Indian promoters and investment companies, including their holding companies.

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VFortress Unveils Remote Access Solution

VFortress Network Security Pvt. Ltd, a company offering secure, remote access to business applications and data, has launched xVES, a comprehensive remote access solution.

According to Subhash Warrier, CEO, vFortress, "xVES enables companies to access centralized applications using any device, from PC to a PDA, by providing reliable secure access to employees, partners and customers from any remote location, thereby improving employee workforce productivity and increasing business efficiency on the sell-side and well as buy-side."

In an exclusive to CXOtoday, Sugumar K., vice president, sales, vFortress, elaborated on xVES and its core USP for the Indian market.

"The product has been targeted for medium sized enterprises, apart from small and large ones. The product would interface with legacy applications, CRM based applications, home grown applications and Lotus Notes, also file-sharing and FTP applications," added Sugumar.

According to vFortress, xVES would be a good choice for remote access using server based computing (thin client access), VPN like access fir client-server applications ( Fat client access) , mobile device access and network and application security.

"Designed for enterprises of any size, the remote users are authenticated using Digital Certificates and/or Biometrics to ensure electronic trust mechanisms by providing authentication access and authorization for applications, secured using standard SSL technology and managed through a single low-maintenance appliance," stated Warrier.

Speaking about the security aspect Sugumar said, "In terms of digital certificates, they were developed in-house and linked with the software endpoints. We are currently using a fingerprints based biometrics system. Meanwhile, in terms of encryption we are using 128-bit SSL encryption."

This product priced at Rs 99,995 for 10 concurrent users license with an appliance, is currently available all over India through its channel partners.

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