Micromuse Announces Netcool for Security Management Solution

Business Wire, Jan 29, 2002

Business & Technology Editors

COMNET 2002

Booth #1030

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2002

Netcool(R)/OMNIbus(TM)-Based Software Consolidates Management

of Enterprise-Wide Security Elements & Applications

Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE), the leading provider of service and business assurance software, today announced its Netcool(R) for Security Management(TM) solution.

Based on Micromuse's flagship Netcool/OMNIbus(TM) application, the solution consolidates the management of diverse and disparate IT security elements, such as VPNs, firewalls, anti-virus programs, authentication/authorization mechanisms, intrusion detection systems and environmental and physical security applications.

With its single graphical view of security status information, the Netcool for Security Management solution provides organizations with realtime reports on breaches. It correlates and analyzes event data to ascertain the cause and location of break-ins, allowing IT managers to isolate threats and take automated actions before serious problems occur. The solution also notifies organizations of the severity of breaches or threats, allowing them to prioritize responses.

"Our global security operations responsibilities span a diverse set of network and security devices, systems and application elements. Each element typically has its own proprietary network management system," said Jeff Oliveto, Vice President of Operations, CLEAN Communications, a leading provider of managed security services. "Our goal is to consolidate the fault and security management of all elements, allowing us to improve our effectiveness while reducing the time and cost to implement new devices and systems. Micromuse's Netcool for Security Management solution supports the rapid rule and signature customization we require to meet the Security and Business needs of our customers while providing realtime fault and security management alerts on our top-level Netcool EventList screen."

"Micromuse is taking the ability to manage complex security environments to the next level. Many of our customers are installing security technologies, but lack the means to consolidate or manage the sheer volume of security events," said Jim Frey, Micromuse's Vice President, Strategic Marketing. "The Netcool(R) for Security Management(TM) solution is a comprehensive offering optimized for advanced security event management. It includes industry-leading and industry-proven Netcool products, integrations with best-of-breed security-specific partner products, and security-savvy services partners. This new offering delivers a superior manager-of-managers capability for effective end-to-end security management."

Micromuse is already an established provider of advanced security management solutions. Its Netcool/Firewall(TM) application, shipping since 1998, is implemented by more than 100 leading service providers and enterprises. Off-the-shelf, the Netcool for Security Management solution, Micromuse's next-generation security offering, collects events from the following environments:

-- Industry-leading firewalls, including specific integrations for Check Point
FireWall-1(R) and Cisco Systems' Pix.

-- System log files, including UNIX Syslog and the Windows NT Event Log.

-- Hardware VPN devices and appliances from Asita Technologies.

-- Intrusion detection and network surveillance systems including NIKSUN
NetDetector(TM) and Cisco IDS.

-- Basic network intrusion detection, utilization, protocol decodes, and
network performance management capabilities from Sniffer Technologies.

-- Environmental and physical security systems from Johnson Controls Cardkey
division.

-- Internet Services, including Netcool/Internet Service Monitors(TM) for HTTP
and HTTPS Web pages, Radius, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocols, among others.

The Netcool for Security Management package includes the following Netcool components:

-- The Netcool/OMNIbus(TM) application;

-- The Netcool/WebTop(TM) secure Web interface;

-- The Netcool/Impact(TM) application, with off-the-shelf

security policies;

-- All standard Netcool Probes(TM) configured to be aware of

security events;

-- Netcool Syslog Probe and Netcool Multi-threaded TrapD Probe

configured for specific security events;

-- The Netcool/Firewall license pack, which monitors firewalls

from vendors such as Check Point FireWall-1 and Cisco Pix and

Cisco IDS;

-- The Netcool/Internet Service Monitors license pack, with all

Monitors configured to be aware of security events;

-- Off-the-shelf pre-configured security reports;

-- Netcool for Security Management documentation and Best

Practices.

As part of its security initiative, Micromuse also announced new partnerships and integrations with a variety of manufacturers of security devices and software (see related release). Micromuse Alliance Partners for Security announced today include Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), Cisco Systems, Johnson Controls, NetScreen, Sniffer Technologies and NIKSUN. Authorized Netcool(R) Resellers and Consultants for Security include Greenwich Technology Partners, Innovative Technology Solutions, Predictive Systems, and Southernview Technologies.