Ask FERF (financial executives research foundation) about ... IT security.

The outlook for the information technology (IT) sector is cautious but positive. After a relatively flat 2003, IT spending in the U.S. is predicted to rise 4 percent in 2004, according to Forrester Research, the technology research firm in Cambridge, Mass. That growth will be driven by a 6 percent rise in overall software spending, particularly from increased demands in security software. Of the 818 technology decision-makers surveyed on a list of 16 IT initiatives, more than half considered an upgrade of IT security to be a top priority for 2004.

Based on research on a number of vendors, Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) provides the following information to explain what each company is offering in the area of information security. The list is not exhaustive, and vendors are listed alphabetically.

Cheryl de Mesa Graziano, CPA ([e-mail]) is Director of Research with Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF).

Vendor Name                 Product
Product Name                Description
Area of Specialization

Citadel Security Software   Scans networks to identify security
Hercules                    weaknesses.
Network vulnerability       Provides the means to automate the
scanner                     resolution of those vulnerabilities.
www.citadel.com

Postini                     Protects company email systems from
Perimeter Manager           spam and email viruses and provides
Email security              management of email collection and
www.postini.com             delivery.

Sigaba                      Provides a single platform for secure
Secure E-mail               messaging. Enables easy but safe
Email security              exchange of sensitive information
www.sigaba.com              across both wired and wireless networks
                            (email, LANs, desktop-to-desktop).

Trend Micro                 Repairs systems infected by viruses and
Damage Cleanup Services     worms without installing software at
System virus repair         client site. Web-based console is used
www.trendmicro.com          to centrally manage tasks and deploy
                            cleanup for multiple users.

TrueActive Software         Protects against internal security
WinWhatWhere                threats. Specifically tracks all PC
Computer activity           activities (keystrokes, Internet use,
monitoring                  email, file activity) to detect and
www.trueactive.com          verify potential computer misuse.

Vendor Name                 Features
Product Name
Area of Specialization

Citadel Security Software   Designed to address vulnerabilities such
Hercules                    as unsecured accounts, unnecessary
Network vulnerability       services, backdoors and software defects.
scanner                     Allows administrators to manage the
www.citadel.com             remediation process from a single console
                            that can review vulnerabilities, select
                            the network computer(s) for remedy and
                            approve for deployment. Reports can also
                            be generated, showing results.
                            Remediation sessions can be scheduled as
                            a single or reoccurring event.

Postini                     Allows users to customize spam filters to
Perimeter Manager           allow emails that may be quarantined by a
Email security              company's standard email policies. A
www.postini.com             scoring system sets the sensitivity level
                            for general spam and subsets of spam types
                            (i.e., offensive, get-rich-quick). Other
                            features include disaster recovery and
                            real-time monitoring and reporting.
                            Compatibility with email systems/servers.

Sigaba                      Features include: Compatibility with
Secure E-mail               authentication mechanisms ad email
Email security              applications (Outlook, AOL) and protection
www.sigaba.com              of consumer data using fraud checks and
                            automatic secure replies. Based on
                            industry-recognized standards such as
                            eXtensible Markup Language (XML)

Trend Micro                 Provides detailed reporting and logging
Damage Cleanup Services     information that identifies, by IP address
System virus repair         and machine name, whether or not a specific
www.trendmicro.com          client is cleaned. Also identifies which
                            Types of Trojan viruses and worms were
                            found on infected clients and documents.
                            Cleanup templates identify and remove
                            viruses that may not be detected by
                            typical scan engines.

TrueActive Software         Documents digital business activity and
WinWhatWhere                provides an audit trail of employee
Computer activity           procedures for government regulation
monitoring                  compliance, authorization tracking and
www.trueactive.com          meeting industry standards, such as ISO
                            9000. Has been used by customers to
                            identify electronic fraud and employee
                            theft.