Server and Tools Business News Bytes blog : Security Products News

Microsoft Helps Protect Organizations from Web-based Threats

grantkd — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:00:00 GMT

The Web is simultaneously becoming more important and more dangerous to businesses. Today Microsoft released Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) Beta 2 for download. Forefront TMG, the successor to ISA Server, helps organizations take full advantage of business benefits presented by the Web by keeping malware out and controlling employee Web usage.

Check out Senior Product Manager Bill Jensen’s blog entry for more details on key features of Forefront TMG Beta 2 and the new TechNet Edge video.

Additionally, customers who purchase a license for Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 Enterprise Edition along with Software Assurance will receive 15% off the combined purchase. Customers will also receive the upgrade to Forefront TMG when it releases later this year. See www.microsoftincentives.com for full details.

Other resources:

Download Beta 2 now!

Forefront Videos on TechNet Edge

Forefront Team Blog

ISA Server Team Blog

Microsoft and RSA announce their plans to expand an existing partnership

grantkd — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:36:00 GMT

Today, RSA, the security division of EMC, and Microsoft Corp. announced their plans to expand an existing partnership that will offer companies a better way to protect their sensitive information and share it in a secure manner. The partnership will take advantage of resources and technology from both Microsoft and RSA, offering their joint customers the benefits of both. Microsoft will build RSA’s Data Loss Prevention (DLP) classification technology into Microsoft products and platforms. In addition, RSA will integrate tightly with Microsoft Active Directory Rights Management Services (RMS.)

For more information on today’s news, please click here to view the full press release or here for an audio replay of this morning’s press teleconference. Additionally, both Microsoft & RSA have blogged about the news of the day.

Audio Replay available here.

Expanded Technology Partnership announcement from Microsoft and RSA today at 8 a.m. PST

grantkd — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Today, Microsoft Corporation and RSA, the security division of EMC, will announce an expanded technology partnership and a new comprehensive approach to help secure joint customer’s sensitive data with information protection & data loss prevention technology.

If you’re interested in learning more about this news, join us for the 1-hour teleconference with JG Chirapurath, Director of Identity & Security at Microsoft and Tom Corn, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing, Data Security Group of RSA, EMC's security division. There will be time for your questions following the discussion.

If you have any media questions related to the news announcement or experience difficulty accessing the conference line, please contact Emily Ohlsen or Tammy McKnight.

Date: Thursday, December 4^th

Time: 8:00am – 9:00am (PST)

International: 1-773-756-4825

US/Canada: 888-324-7572

Password: Microsoft

Microsoft Online Services solution that will provide IT Management and Security Capabilities for Businesses

grantkd — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:01:00 GMT

As part of yesterday’s announcement of Exchange Online and SharePoint Online availability in the U.S., Microsoft also announced that it is planning to offer a Microsoft Online Services solution that will provide IT management and security capabilities for businesses. Slated for delivery in calendar year 2010, these new offerings will enable IT managers to secure and manage desktops using Web-based subscription services. These management and security online services will be based on components from existing systems management, identity and security offerings, and will complement Microsoft’s on-premise solutions. They will provide customers with more choice and flexibility, as they begin to adopt cloud-based computing to address specific needs. To deliver these new IT management and security services, Microsoft is building on a proven and highly scalable services infrastructure that serves hundreds of millions of customers every month.

The virtual press kit from yesterday’s event is located here: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/Officesoftwareplusservices/default.mspx

Microsoft announces its next-generation secure remote access solution and an enhanced SharePoint Optimizer

Brittany M. — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:30:00 GMT

During Interop Las Vegas, Microsoft announced its next-generation secure remote access gateway product, Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG), available in the first half of 2009. Forefront Unified Access Gateway is the evolution of Microsoft’s current solution, Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG 2007). UAG will bring new features and functionality to make remote access easier than ever for all users and IT professionals. In addition to investing strongly in its next-generation solutions, Microsoft is continuing to provide increased customer value with the products in the market today by launching an updated SharePoint Optimizer, providing enhanced functionality and manageability for secure remote access to SharePoint by all mobile users. The IAG 2007 SharePoint Optimizer will be available for download in May.

For additional information about this announcement, please visit the Forefront blog: http://blogs.technet.com/forefront/

IDC Study: Microsoft security partner programs succeed in making partners more profitable

Brittany M. — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

IDC and Microsoft released, today, a study that shows that the Microsoft Partner Program is enabling security partners to be more successful compared to programs from other vendors. The study finds that partners participating in Microsoft’s SSA and SSC programs experience over one-third higher profit margins, three times more revenue growth, one to four points lower sales and marketing overheads, and are getting four to five times more customers.

The study, commissioned by Microsoft, attributes partners’ success to Partner Program including the investments and enhancements Microsoft made to its partner ecosystem in July 2007, including a $50 million+ investment in sales, marketing, and training and the SCC program.

Microsoft also announced that, to date, over 6,000 partners have joined its SSA program, and the company is making additional enhancements to the SCC program.

The complete IDC study is available here.

For more on the results of the study and the new program enhancements, visit www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2008/jan08/01-14securitypartners.mspx.

For more on the security partner ecosystem enhancements announced at WPC in July 2007, visit http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/jul07/07-11hassallqa.mspx.

Exchange Server SP1 and Forefront Security for Exchange SP1 Released

Brittany M. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:01:00 GMT

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be available to customers on Thursday, November 29th. Exchange Server 2007 SP1 features anticipated enhancements such as support for Windows Server 2008, better integration with Office Communications Server 2007 and improved mobile device security and management.

Additionally, the final release of Forefront Security for Exchange Server Service Pack 1 (SP1) will also be available here. Forefront Security for Exchange Server SP1 helps businesses protect their Exchange Server messaging environments from viruses, worms, and spam. It ships with and integrates multiple industry-leading antivirus engines to provide comprehensive, layered protection against the latest threats.

This announcement comes 1 year after Microsoft launched Exchange Server 2007. Since then, more than 3,000 companies representing more than 1,000,000 seats have begun the switch from rival messaging and voice mail platforms to Exchange Server.

More than 270,000 information workers tested the beta of Exchange Server 2007 SP1 as part of Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program with more than 30,000 of those mailboxes running Windows Server 2008. More information about this process and about TAP customer experiences will be available at: http://msexchangeteam.com/.

For more information on Forefront Security products visit, the Forefront Server Security blog.

General Availability: Forefront Server Security Management Console

Brittany M. — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:01:00 GMT

Today at IT Forum in Barcelona, Microsoft announced the General Availability of Forefront Server Security Management Console. The Forefront Server Security Management Console is a centralized, Web-based management solution for onsite and remote administration of Microsoft messaging and collaboration solutions. With Forefront Server Security Management Console, customers can centrally manage and configure servers remotely, automatically download and distribute signature and engine updates, generate comprehensive reports and receive outbreak alerts from across their environment. For more information, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/nov07/11-13forefront.mspx

Some of the key features customers can take advantage of include:

· Optimization for Forefront Security Products

· Support of Exchange 2007 CCR Clusters (Cluster Continuous Replication)

· Exchange Server Discovery

· Integration with Windows Server 2003 and SQL 2005

· SharePoint Server Discovery

Network Access Protection extended to Linux and Mac

Brittany M. — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:01:00 GMT

Also at IT Forum, Microsoft announced three new third party products that will extend Network Access Protection (NAP) to Linux and Mac Desktops as well as the first NAP-powered appliance. The new products will extend NAP, a policy enforcement platform built into the Windows Vista operating system and the upcoming versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows XP SP 3, to non-Microsoft operating systems in heterogeneous network environments. NAP is now deployed in over 150,000 desktops worldwide, including 70,000 desktops at Microsoft.

Announcements today included:

· UNETsystem Inc. announced that Linux and Macintosh versions of the company’s Anyclick for NAP will be released in 2008, extending NAP technology to these desktops.

· Avenda Systems, Inc. announced the upcoming release of the Avenda Linux Network Access Protection Agent, which extends Network Access Protection technology to network endpoints running the Linux operating system.

· Celestix Networks, Inc. announced that it has developed the first purpose-built appliance for delivering NAP policy-enforcement platform. Celestix has scheduled the release of the new appliances shortly after Microsoft releases Server 2008.