WheelGroup announces security solution for Microsoft Internet Explorer vulnerability

Business Wire, March 4, 1997

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 1997--WheelGroup Corp. has developed a solution to the recent security vulnerability with the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser "Version 3.0" -- a vulnerability which has been touted by some as potentially the most serious security hole ever exposed for enterprise computing.

According to recent news reports, a university student electronically posted details of a major security hole in Microsoft's browser that allows users to unknowingly have virtually any command executed on their computer, such as hard drive deletion, via a simple HTML link, such as an Internet web site.

Although the vulnerability is reportedly not prevented by traditional firewalls, WheelGroup Corp. has identified a solution and has started downloading the countermeasure to its NetRanger network intrusion detection security systems at customer sites in the field. Because NetRanger looks into the data stream of a network connection and analyzes the content and context of the individual packet payloads and headers, the system is able to analyze inbound and outbound data at an extremely high level of granularity, without significant effects on performance. Unlike traditional firewalls, which categorically block network functionality, NetRanger can search for network misuse even within authorized activity, such as HTML files. WheelGroup refers to this next generation approach to network security as "permissive networking(TM)" -- allowing networks to function at their full capability while ensuring its activity is authorized and secure.

With the Internet Explorer vulnerability, the NetRanger product has identified a unique solution to this problem that will allow users to do any combination of the following:

-- Detect, in real time, when users view any web site with the

embedded attack.

-- Generate an alarm for any connection to such a site.

-- Terminate, in real time, any connection to such a web page

until it can be verified that the site is not malicious.

-- Instantly display the HTML source code that has the attack

for examination by system administrators.

This solution illustrates the power and ability of NetRanger to immediately and dynamically respond to new attacks as they develop and prevent those types of attacks that are not easily solved by standard security techniques. The solution is being made available to current NetRanger customers and, in some cases, is being remotely downloaded to customer sites for immediate protection. NetRanger is deployed at both commercial and Department of Defense locations and is available direct from WheelGroup Corp. or via StorageTek Network Systems Group, BTG, and NetSolve.

WheelGroup, founded in 1995, is a privately held company, headquartered in San Antonio. Eight of the ten founders of the company honed their technical skills and methods at the U.S. Air Force Information Warfare Center and have since teamed with security and engineering experts from the commercial arena. Together, WheelGroup employees provide innovative information protection products, operational support and consulting services to business and government organizations concerned with protecting valuable data from fraud or misuse. The company was recently featured on the cover of Fortune magazine and can be reached at 210/494-3383.

CONTACT: WheelGroup Corp., San Antonio

Doug Webster, 210/494-3383