Gibraltar Software, Inc. adds Remote Patch Deployment for Solaris to Everguard 2.2

Gibraltar Software announces the addition of remote deployment for Solaris to it's automated patch management software, the Everguard System, with the release of version 2.2. Everguard 2.2's platform-agnostic management screens allow sysadmins to patch a network of Solaris, Windows, and RedHat Linux machines using the same simple process. Other new features include reboot control, an inoculation record, and a comprehensive risk-rating function to highlight machines most in need of patching.

June 6, 2003- Gibraltar Software, Inc. today announced the addition of remote patch deployment for Solaris to its flagship patch management product, the Everguard System.

With the release of Everguard 2.2, users can now centrally manage patching for a network of Solaris, Windows, and Red Hat Linux machines. The appliance's platform-agnostic management screens allow systems administrators to patch any machine using the same simple process.

With over 4000 patches reported last year, patch management for networks has become a time-consuming process. Most products offer only part of the solution; for example, acting as a scanning engine, an inventory tool, or a deployment system, but not all three. In addition, only a few products support patches for both MS Windows and UNIX. The net effect of this product fragmentation is that a systems administrator must use or build multiple tools to discover, deploy, and track patching for each OS in their network, or risk becoming overwhelmed by vulnerabilities.

The Everguard System brings all of these elements together into one toolset, allowing a systems administrator to discover, remediate, and track patches over multiple operating systems. Secure patching becomes as easy as pushing a few buttons, and the administrator can move on to other projects.

Everguard 2.2 also adds support for patching Red Hat Linux 9.0, which was released at the end of March. A complete list of the operating systems that the Everguard System covers can be viewed at http://www.gibraltarsoft.com/inside/pdf/eg2_2_data_sheet.pdf.

Other product enhancements include:

• Extensive reboot control options
• A comprehensive risk-rating function to highlight machines most in need of patching
• An inoculation record showing the complete history of a machines patch activity to date

The new reboot options are designed for use in sensitive environments, to protect high-availability servers from unscheduled reboots. On administrator-designated machines, patches may be scheduled separately from reboots, or Everguard-initiated reboot commands may be disabled entirely.

The 2.2 release also introduces the Everguard Security Metric (ESM), a comprehensive security metric that is generated for each machine attached to the appliance. The ESM concept is designed to allow the user to rank machines by risk exposure, so that the machines most in need of patching sort to the top of reports.

The inoculation record" is also new for the 2.2 release, and provides a historical overview of patch activity for a given machine. As vulnerabilities are discovered and remediated, the inoculation record is expanded. In conjunction with the Auditor-level privilege offered on the Everguard appliance, any machine's patch history may be easily viewed or printed for internal or external security audits.

For more details on the Everguard System and the new options available with version 2.2, see http://www.gibraltarsoft.com.

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About Gibraltar Software, Inc.:
Gibraltar Software, Inc. is the premiere creator of automated patch management solutions. Founded in 2001 by security experts Graham Hine and Mark Allen, Gibraltar Software addresses the critical need for efficient patch management systems for cross-platform networks.

Press Contact:    Jennifer Sundberg
   Tel: (408) 585-3420 x13   
   jenn@gibraltarsoft.com
   http://www.gibraltarsoft.com

The Everguard System and Gibraltar Software are trademarks of Gibraltar Software, Inc. Windows, Solaris, Red Hat, and Linux are trademarks of their respective owners.