Configuresoft Security Update Manager Provides Automated Notification, Assessment, and Deployment of Microsoft Patches and Hotfixes.

Business/Technology Editors

WOODLAND PARK, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2001

New Module for Enterprise Configuration Manager Product Identifies and

Corrects Network-Wide Security Vulnerabilities with Two Mouse Clicks

Configuresoft, the Windows NT/2000 configuration management company, today announced Security Update Manager, a new module for Enterprise Configuration Manager (ECM) that automates the painstaking task of managing security patches in large Windows-based enterprise networks. ECM Security Update Manager alerts systems administrators of new security bulletins issued by Microsoft, instantly assesses entire corporate networks to detect which servers and workstations are vulnerable to attack, and can deploy the required patches to all the target machines with a single mouse click. This new addition to the ECM suite of products slashes the costs and administrative resources required to centrally monitor, audit, and manage server and desktop configuration settings in order to prevent security breaches.

In a recent survey of 33.1 million Web sites, research firm Netcraft found that one in nine servers running Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Server) had software vulnerabilities on it that would allow attackers to take complete control of the system - even though patches for all these security holes had already been issued. The ECM Security Update Manager was developed to address the humanly impossible task of managing security patches for Windows-based systems in large, and often distributed, enterprise networks. By connecting directly to the Microsoft XML Security Database and linking to server and desktop configuration data contained in the ECM database, the ECM Security Update Manager enables administrators to perform a network-wide assessment whenever a new vulnerability bulletin is issued and instantly detect if any of their machines are at risk.

Intelligent Network Assessment

To streamline and accelerate vulnerability assessments, the ECM Security Update Manager only identifies patches that need to be applied to a specific system. For example, it screens patches by several criteria including products affected, service packs affected, and relationships between them. Since Microsoft is now supplying "roll-up" patches that address multiple vulnerabilities, ECM Security Update Manager's built-in intelligence ensures only relevant patches are deployed. In addition to the "Assess Current" function that tests systems for vulnerability against a selected security bulletin, ECM Security Update Manager allows administrators to search for machines that they want to patch by service, application, registry entry, with or without a given hotfix, etc.

Centralized Deployment

Once vulnerable machines have been detected, ECM Security Update Manager provides advanced capabilities to automate the centralized deployment of the required patches to the target systems. For example, systems administrators can choose to add or remove systems from a target list, select additional patches to be deployed, and schedule deployment times and options, such as reboots, so as not to interfere with production systems. ECM Security Update Manager also logs deployment activities and can alert administrators when a patch is successfully or unsuccessfully installed on each machine.

"Keeping up with the accelerating pace of new Windows security vulnerabilities that threaten enterprise systems is beyond the capabilities of the even the largest IT departments," said Alexander Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer, Configuresoft. "ECM Security Update Manager is the first automated solution that eliminates manually intensive tasks at every step of the security management process - notification, assessment and deployment - so that systems administrators can do the impossible."

About Enterprise Configuration Manager

ECM centralizes and automates the labor-intensive task of monitoring, managing, and auditing the hardware and software configurations of Windows NT/2000 systems deployed in large enterprise networks or Web server farms. ECM enables enterprises to efficiently and cost-effectively standardize server, workstation, and mobile system configurations, and keep them in compliance, to minimize downtime, prevent security vulnerabilities, accelerate problem resolution, reduce help desk calls, and enhance system performance. ECM can identify and help correct configuration problems before users even know they exist.

Pricing and Availability

The Security Update Manager for ECM is available immediately from Configuresoft and its business partners worldwide. Pricing for ECM Security Update Manager starts at $25 per server and $5 per workstation. Pricing for ECM starts at $775 per server and $30 per workstation. ECM supports Windows NT/2000 Server, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, and Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or higher.

Company Background

Founded in 1999, Configuresoft, Inc. develops software that centralizes, automates, and dramatically lowers the cost of desktop, notebook, and server configuration management for Windows NT/2000-based networks and Web sites. The company's products are designed specifically for, and run natively on, Windows NT/2000. Configuresoft's customers are Fortune 5000 companies that are deploying or planning to deploy large Windows NT/2000-based infrastructures. Configuresoft is privately held and headquartered in Woodland Park, Colorado. To contact Configuresoft, call 719.447.4600, visit us on the Web at http://www.configuresoft.com/, or write to [e-mail].