Centrify Corporation, the leading provider of security and compliance
solutions to secure cross-platform data centers using Microsoft Active
Directory, today announced availability of Centrify DirectSecure, a
software solution that secures sensitive information by isolating and
protecting cross-platform systems and by enabling end-to-end encryption
of data in motion. Using DirectSecure, organizations can prevent
unauthorized access to computing resources and data, improve regulatory
compliance, and have optimal, policy-driven protection against network
attacks for mixed Windows and UNIX/Linux environments.
"Dynamic data centers contain a mix of Windows servers, UNIX
and Linux servers, and virtual servers, which going forward will
increasingly extend their reach out to services hosted in multiple cloud
provider data centers, said Phil Schacter, VP and Service Director,
Burton Group. "Policy-based access controls and secure connections are a
key requirement to protect sensitive business information and systems."
DirectSecure leverages an enterprise’s existing Active
Directory infrastructure and extends Microsoft’s Server and Domain
Isolation technology to UNIX and Linux systems — whether they are
physical, virtual or in the cloud. DirectSecure also enables Microsoft
Windows 7 users to take advantage of the Windows DirectAccess feature
to securely access non-Microsoft systems and provides end-to-end
encryption and security for those connections.
Organizations can use DirectSecure to ensure that sensitive
data such as financial transactions or credit card data is inaccessible
to anyone but authorized users connecting through trusted computers.
This results in higher levels of protection against internal or external
threats — even in situations where the attacker has a valid username
and password. Unlike network hardware-based methods, DirectSecure uses a
host-based software approach, ensuring security policies are enforced
regardless of the server’s location or application protocol. Utilizing
the native IPsec support built into today’s UNIX and Linux operating
systems, DirectSecure provides optional encryption of data-in-motion to
address audit requirements and protect intellectual property, without
requiring changes to applications or network topology. This makes
DirectSecure the most secure, adaptive solution for dynamic IT
environments that include distributed networks, virtualized platforms
and cloud computing.
A Key Component of the Centrify Suite
Centrify DirectSecure is a component in the Centrify Suite
2010 (for more information, see related press release, "Centrify
Suite 2010 Expands Ability to Ensure Higher Levels of Trust, Control and
Compliance in the Data Center"). The Centrify Suite 2010 is an
integrated family of Active Directory-based auditing, access control and
identity management solutions that secure cross-platform environments
of UNIX, Linux and Mac systems, workstations, Microsoft systems and
applications. Centrify DirectSecure builds on top of the Centrify
DirectControl architecture, which provides the ability to join a
non-Microsoft system to Active Directory, thereby facilitating the
ability for a UNIX or Linux system to obtain a Kerberos ticket or, with
DirectSecure installed, to obtain a PKI certificate. DirectControl also
provides the cross-platform Group Policy engine that DirectSecure
leverages to apply end-point authentication policies. Other
complementary solutions in the Centrify Suite include DirectAuthorize,
which provides granular role-based security; DirectAudit, which provides
user-level auditing of non-Microsoft systems: and DirectManage, which
centralizes the discovery, management and user administration of UNIX
and Linux systems.
Organizations use Centrify Suite to enforce consistent
security policies and protect against security breaches from inside and
outside threat; to meet compliance requirements by controlling access
and auditing all privileged user activity; to increase operational
efficiency of IT staff by delivering a single tool to administer user
access across heterogeneous systems and reduce calls for password
resets; and to improve end-user productivity by decreasing the number of
login IDs across heterogeneous systems and applications.
Availability
DirectSecure is licensed as a component in the Centrify Suite
2010 Platinum Edition and is now available from Centrify and worldwide
reseller partners for computer end-point authentication leveraging
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and pre-shared keys (PSK). Computer
end-point authentication leveraging Kerberos and support for Microsoft
DirectAccess is available under the Centrify early access program.
