Argus Systems Group Locks Down Linux Servers in Just 30 Minutes

Business Wire, August 20, 2001

Business Editors

SAVOY, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 20, 2001

Award-winning PitBull LX Delivers Turnkey, 30-Minute Installation

to Lock Down All Popular Linux Distributions and the 2.4 Kernel from

Hackers and Code Red-like Threats

Argus Systems Group, Inc., an international leader in application security for the extended enterprise, today announced the availability of PitBull(R) LX for all major Linux(TM) distributions and the 2.4 Linux kernel. In just thirty minutes, a Linux administrator can quickly and easily protect Web-facing servers running top distributions from malicious attacks that alter data and Web pages, steal information or monetary assets, launch denial of service attacks or otherwise tamper with system and data resources.

"Even with the massive scramble to patch servers against Code Red, hundreds of thousands of servers were still affected, impairing services at many multinational companies," said Randy Sandone, president and CEO of Argus Systems Group. "Linux is one of the most popular Web server operating systems in the world, and has experienced its own share of attacks this year, including the Ramen worm, Adore and Lion. Using PitBull, organizations can lock down systems--and get out of the vicious and ineffective `patch and pray' cycle--to proactively protect their servers."

According to IDC Research, Linux is the second fastest growing server operating system, and accounted for 27 percent of new worldwide operating system licenses in 2000. Linux is supported by nearly every top enterprise and Internet application and hardware platform. According to Netcraft, a U.K.-based Internet consultancy, Linux is used for more public Web servers than any other non-Windows operating system--29 percent in total.

"No matter how quickly you can install patches, you are always exposed someplace," said Thane Terrill, network administrator for the Baha'i International Community. "While Linux itself is quite a secure operating system, it does not fully protect the owner of the system from compromised applications. Locking down the system with PitBull protects against the security holes that may exist, yet about which you can do nothing."

How PitBull LX Proactively Stops Hackers

PitBull LX's unique patent-pending security implementation turns security inside-out and locks down the operating system--the foundation that controls every application action across the entire computing infrastructure--to create a secure application environment. With PitBull LX, software bugs and security flaws that could once grant an attacker system-wide access when successfully exploited, are now harmlessly contained within a single security compartment.

PitBull offers benefits not available in other security technologies, including:

-- Secure Application Environment (SAE)--These secure, isolated compartments
cannot be penetrated by unauthorized users, by illegitimate means, or by
malicious programs such as worms. Any number of compartments can reside on a
single machine, which allows each application to be totally isolated from all
others. If an attacker attempts to exploit a security flaw in one application,
he and that exploit are contained inside a single security compartment, unable
to access other applications, data or other systems in the network.

-- Domain-Based Access Control (DBAC)--This powerful tool supports four
distinct types of access control: user, file, process and network. The
combination of these four elements gives administrators a more powerful
flexibility in protecting data and mission-critical applications. Additionally,
administrators can grant proper, authorized access with a high degree of
confidence that PitBull LX's DBAC will restrict users to only their authorized
areas. DBAC even eliminates superuser vulnerabilities, one of the biggest
security threats on a Linux system.

-- Improved Economics--The combination of PitBull LX's SAE and DBAC can improve
a company's economic model by greatly simplifying the security architecture and
significantly increasing efficiency of server utilization. PitBull LX obviates
the need for numerous security `point products' and reduces security
administration overhead. Multiple applications or customers can be securely
hosted on a single machine, reducing hardware and administration overhead
costs.

Availability

PitBull LX for popular Linux distributions and the 2.4 kernel are available immediately.

Turnkey installation is available for the following Linux distributions: Red Hat (6.2, 7.0, 7.1), SuSE (7.1, 7.2), Linux Mandrake (7.2, 8.0), Debian GNU/Linux (2.2) and TurboLinux (6.5). The software also supports custom installations of the 2.4 Linux kernels.

About Argus Systems Group, Inc.

Argus Systems Group, Inc. protects vital applications by locking down the invaluable intellectual property stored on Web servers, e-mail servers and corporate databases. Argus' PitBull software is the only independently-certified, trusted e-business platform available for applications running on the world's most popular operating systems, including Sun Solaris (SPARC and Intel), IBM AIX and Linux. PitBull was the focus of eWeek magazine's recent Open Hack III contest where it withstood more than 5.4 million hack attempts without a single penetration. PitBull LX was selected Best Security Solution by the German ASP Konsortium, Editor's Choice by CNET and was awarded the eWeek eXcellence Award as Best Intrusion Defense and Response product of 2001.