René Millman

This box is one of the smallest in this Group Test but it managed to punch above its weight. It has most of the features that the bigger boxes have, but for a smaller price tag - good news for any business on a tight budget.

Tally Systems comes back with a number of improvements to its inventory software. The package can provide a one-stop shop for data that can be tied into various helpdesk systems that work with the software.

This software is very much aimed at the auditing and information security industry and those that work within that field. It is basically a tool to audit information security in an automated fashion.

PC-Duo from Vector Networks has now reached version 2.0. The suite comprises of modular components that can be bought in when needs dictate. Like other desktop management systems PC-Duo includes modules such as Inventory Management, Remote Control, Software Distribution, Diagnostics, Software Metering, and web-based helpdesk tracking.

K2 builds upon KeyServer's success as a desktop management application to include auditing, in effect integrating software auditing and metering into one package. The client end can run on Windows, Macs and thin-clients, while the server can be hosted from any Windows-based PC as well as Macs, Novell Netware and Linux/ Unix.

iInventory is the latest version of LANauditor, which was launched back in 1990. This package can audit not only Windows-based PCs but also Macs and Linux systems. However the console that runs the whole show must be installed under Windows. The vendors recommend installing the software on a workstation instead of a server as it is claimed it is more secure, offers greater data throughput and clients do not need to access any part of the main program or data.

This solution offers a suite of products under an asset management banner, comprising inventory, app- lication metering, asset control, contract management and TCO management. Support for Mac OS has recently been added.

The software we received for this test was a pre-release of version 8, but initial observations tell us that any tweaks before the final version will probably be very minor ones.

GASP is probably most famous for being the auditing software of choice for the Business Software Alliance. A free download of a version of this software is available on its web site. However, it can only audit up to 100 PCs and is time-limited. The version we reviewed is very much angled at the enterprise managing thousands of systems.

This inventory application uses a technology called Lanprobe to meter software usage and discover devices on a network.

This suite of applications consists of the main Sygate Management Server, Security Agent for servers and workstations, a VPN and wireless security application. These enforce security policies at those particular entry points onto the corporate LAN. The idea behind this is to secure as many points of the network from one suite of applications, and it certainly appears to work well enough.

The main idea behind this piece of technology is controlling who or what makes calls to the operating system kernel. This protects file and registry from attackers and is particularly effective when software patches are unavailable.

Most of the products tested in the round up for this Group Test have been primarily aimed at the larger enterprise, as they tend to have the largest pockets and more need for protection. Barbedwire Technologies aims at the more modest-sized organization with its STAR Engine intrusion prevention product.

One thing that cannot be overlooked in network security is the ability to test weaknesses like a hacker. The RETINA Network Security Scanner is one such tool - and probably one of the fastest ones on the block.

This product essentially takes over from where BlackICE Guard left off. The current version offers greater protocol analysis pattern-based detection and a few bug fixes thrown in for good measure.

Primary Response is the first product to come from Sana Security (formerly Company 51). The software is based on research that began in the mid-nineties and uses techniques more akin to the human immune system than conventional network security.

Top Layer Networks' Attack Mitigator lies at the traditional end of intrusion prevention. It aims to defend against both internal and external hackers using denial-of- service (DoS) and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), as well as giving broad protection against other well-known attacks. This is done using a mixture of stateful inspection hardware and packet inspection software.

Accomplished hackers will always perform some sort of reconnaissance on a target network before mounting an attack - finding out details such as operating system types, application version, etc. The idea behind ActiveScout is that if the application can detect this activity it can later prevent it. Bogus host or port data traffic is marked, and the application responds to any future activity it thinks is coming from an attacker with such marked data. It then blocks the packets and stops any damage ever occurring.

The Entercept system, now acquired by Network Associat-es, has in its latest version bought a major revision to how software runs in the enterprise.

Last year we looked at the LapLink Gold solution, which has continued to improve over the years. This year is no exception. Now integrating three products into one to deliver LapLink Everywhere DELUXE, LapLink, Inc. is determined to improve remote access capabilities for the user without compromising on security.

With the first product in this suite you can access your PC from anywhere using a web browser to retrieve email, files or folders. LapLink Everywhere is a service that is provided for one year after purchase as a part of the LapLink Everywhere DELUXE suite.