BeyondTrust Announces First Enterprise Least Privilege Management Solution for Windows Vista.

BeyondTrust Privilege Manager 3.0 Transparently Controls User Privileges for Vista, with Policy-Based Privilege Elevation; Replaces UAC for Enterprises

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- BeyondTrust Corporation, the first provider of Least Privilege Management solutions, today announced BeyondTrust Privilege Manager 3.0, the first product for efficiently managing user privileges in enterprise Windows Vista environments. Privilege Manager 3.0 enables end-users to run all required applications and perform all authorized system tasks on Windows Vista and 64-bit workstations and servers without administrative privileges. By transparently managing privileges, Privilege Manager prevents unauthorized malicious use, protects against malware and zero day threats, and increases productivity and compliance.

"The implementation of a Least Privilege computing environment can play a key role in helping enterprises to harden their security postures against threats and malicious use," said Fred Broussard, Research Manager, PC and Device Management Software, at IDC. "Third party solutions like Privilege Manager can benefit organizations by limiting user privileges across their enterprise Vista deployments."

Originally developed by the Department of Defense over 30 years ago, the Principle of Least Privilege states that each subject in a system should be given the most restrictive set of privileges necessary to complete their authorized tasks in order to limit the damage resulting from accident, error or unauthorized use.

With Privilege Manager 3.0, BeyondTrust has extended the industry-first Least Privilege Management capabilities it currently provides for Windows 2000 and XP platforms to Windows Vista and 64-bit systems to fully support a blended OS environment. Privilege Manager gives organizations control over applications, software installations, ActiveX controls and system tasks that require elevated or administrative rights--all while keeping user systems locked down and preserving the user's security context. Privilege Manager eliminates the usability and password management problems that arise when organizations improperly implement Least Privilege.

"Eliminating administrative privileges on end-user machines is an important component of our security strategy at Gwinnett," said Keith Brown, Network Administrator at Gwinnett Medical Center, an Atlanta-area nonprofit healthcare system with over 6,000 employees and 1,400 physicians. "BeyondTrust Privilege Manager provides Gwinnett Medical Center with an efficient, centrally managed solution for limiting user privileges without requiring intrusive prompts to our users, or increasing the burden to our IT and support staff. As Gwinnett Medical Center looks toward upgrading to Vista in the future, I intend to continue leveraging Privilege Manager for management of user privileges."

Windows Vista's User Account Control, which prompts users to provide administrator account credentials when they attempt to run applications that require elevated privileges, creates a support and security challenge for enterprise deployments. Distributing administrator credentials (usernames and passwords) to standard users places the security decision of which applications to elevate in the hands of the user, instead of a network administrator. Additionally, these credentials can enable users to circumvent security policies, make ill-advised system changes and run or install applications as an administrator. By replacing UAC as the Least Privilege Management solution for enterprises, Privilege Manager 3.0 provides a Least Privilege environment in a way that is transparent to end-users, requiring no pop-ups, consent dialogues or administrator passwords.

"Effective management and reduction of user privileges is essential for improving security," said John Moyer, CEO of BeyondTrust. "The recent release of Windows Vista validates the need to move to a Least Privilege environment, a problem that BeyondTrust has been solving for over two years for Windows 2000 and XP customers. However, Vista's User Account Control is not well-suited for the enterprise, or the managed network, as its support costs, usability and security concerns could outweigh its benefits for companies. With Privilege Manager 3.0, BeyondTrust lets enterprises transparently and securely elevate privileges for only authorized applications and move beyond the need to trust Vista users with excess privileges or administrator passwords."

Privilege Manager 3.0 is implemented as a true Group Policy extension that allows administrators to attach permission levels to Windows applications. Applications, users and computers are targeted using standard Group Policy conventions and per-setting filters. Permissions and privileges are added and/or removed from the process token on the fly, to allow an organization to quickly get to a Least Privilege environment. As a result, when a user is not running an authorized task administrative permissions are not available--a critical component of a successful Least Privilege management model. To further simplify this process for enterprises, Privilege Manager 3.0 now features enhanced logging and feedback of required applications and privileges to facilitate the easy creation of new rules.

Pricing and Availability

BeyondTrust Privilege Manager will be available for enterprises starting this month. Pricing starts at $30 per seat and current Privilege Manager customers will enjoy upgrading as part of their upgrade assurance program.

About BeyondTrust

BeyondTrust Corporation, a pioneer in Least Privilege Management, protects enterprises from malware, malicious users and security breaches. BeyondTrust Privilege Manager was the first product to enable the security best practice of Least Privilege in Windows environments by allowing administrators to assign end users permissions to required or selected applications. Least Privilege strengthens security by limiting users to the permissions they need to do their jobs. Hundreds of organizations worldwide in the financial services, healthcare, government, military, technology and petrochemical industries rely on BeyondTrust to secure their enterprises. BeyondTrust is a Microsoft Gold Partner. For more information about BeyondTrust, visit www.beyondtrust.com.