Tech News
BeyondTrust offers added security to Vista
By Steve Ragan
Mar 6, 2007, 16:14 GMT

BeyondTrust has released a new tool for IT security and network security management aimed at networks using Windows Vista. Privilege Manager 3.0 enables end-users to run all required applications and perform all authorized system tasks on Windows Vista without administrative privileges. By transparently managing privileges, Privilege Manager prevents unauthorized malicious use, protects against malware and zero day threats, and increases productivity.

“The implementation of a Least Privilege computing environment can play a key role in helping enterprises to harden their security postures against threats and malicious use,” said Fred Broussard, Research Manager, PC and Device Management Software, at IDC. “Third party solutions like Privilege Manager can benefit organizations by limiting user privileges across their enterprise Vista deployments.”

The Principle of Least Privilege (Developed by The United States Department of Defense) states that each subject in a system should be given the most restrictive set of privileges necessary to complete their authorized tasks in order to limit the damage resulting from accident, error, or unauthorized use. Privilege Manager 3.0 gives control over applications, software installations, ActiveX controls, and system tasks that require elevated or administrative rights. This eliminates the usability and password management problems that arise when organizations improperly implement Least Privilege.

Windows Vista’s User Account Control, which prompts users to provide an account username and password when they attempt to run applications that require certain privileges, poses a potential risk to any environment that poorly manages UAC. Poorly managed UAC environments are going to be the new internal risk with the release of Vista. To limit the workload and man-hours of the helpdesk or IT departments, generic accounts with various levels of access are certain to be created and used in large network settings.

These generic credentials can and will enable users to circumvent security policies, make system changes and run or install applications as an administrator. Now that should never happen, but ask anyone who has done IT for a long time and they will tell you it does, and that is where Privilege Manager 3.0 comes in. Providing a Least Privilege environment in a way that is transparent to end-users, requiring no pop-ups, consent dialogues or administrator passwords.

“The recent release of Windows Vista validates the need to move to a Least Privilege environment, a problem that BeyondTrust has been solving for over two years for Windows 2000 and XP customers. However, Vista’s User Account Control is not well suited for the enterprise, or the managed network, as its support costs, usability and security concerns could outweigh its benefits for companies. With Privilege Manager 3.0, BeyondTrust lets enterprises transparently and securely elevate privileges for only authorized applications and move beyond the need to trust Vista users with excess privileges or administrator passwords,” said John Moyer, CEO of BeyondTrust.

BeyondTrust Privilege Manager will be available starting this month. Pricing starts at $30 per seat. While the product is no doubt well designed and will serve a serious need for the corporate world, the fact that is it needed at all shows that there is still a long way to go in the realm of network security.