Press Release
Blue Ridge Networks™: Remote Endpoints Endanger UTM Deployments
Perfect Perimeter Defenses are Useless without Strong Authentication
CHANTILLY, Va.- June 26, 2006 - “All of the state-of-the-art endpoint security applications that comprise a Unified Threat Management (UTM) strategy aren’t worth a dime if a hacker can launch a dictionary attack on a remote PC, exposing the organization to all of the risks that these applications are supposed to mitigate,” advised Tony Russo, President and CEO of Blue Ridge Networks, Inc™.
“The majority of remote access systems are password based. Experts have long-acknowledged the ease by which any middle school aged hacker can crack password-only systems. Organizations that pay security more than just lip-service demand mandatory, mutual public key authentication for their remote and mobile personnel,” Russo added. “These organizations are the ones that will have properly implemented, strong UTM systems.”
While Blue Ridge Networks leaders advocate the deployment of UTM solutions, they stress the critical importance of strong authentication mechanisms as the basis to secure today’s widespread commercial and government enterprises.
The company applauds the Federal Government’s strong security position citing initiatives such as HSPD-12 and the Department of Defense’s accelerated PKI mandates. Banking and health care industries have recognized the importance of mandatory, mutual public key authentication as a way to not only be secure and responsive to their customers, but to reap technical competitive advantages.
The Blue Ridge Networks product development strategy revolves around three key percepts: security, simplicity, and interoperability. Where security is concerned, mutual public key authentication has been mandatory in BorderGuard® products for 11 years. Not coincidentally, BorderGuard products have never seen a report of vulnerability (source: National Vulnerability Database and Secunia). This impenetrable foundation provides the environment for personal firewalls, host intrusion prevention systems, anti-malware, patch/vulnerability management systems, and disk encryption systems to work unabated.
About Blue Ridge Networks
Blue Ridge Networks develops secure communications solutions for wireless and wired environments. The company was responsible for the industry's first commercial virtual private network and has completed widespread deployments across commercial and government sectors. The Blue Ridge Networks BorderGuard product suite has been deployed globally and in demanding applications such as wireless LAN, extranets, site-to-site and remote access VPN, and thin client computing. The company has earned several Government Agency Certifications, including: JITC, FIPS 140-2 validation, Common Criteria certification, HIPAA compliance, and the Department of Defense SPOCK validation. Information about the company's products and managed services can be found at www.blueridgenetworks.com.
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Blue Ridge Networks and BorderGuard are trademarks of Blue Ridge Networks, Inc. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
Nicole Heinrich
703-631-7695