To infinity and beyond...

After testing for this review was completed, all the vendors that had products tested released minor upgrades to their respective products. Due to an early deadline, we could not retest the products but felt it would be useful to outline what these new features are.

Securant released SecureControl 4.6, which the company says includes improved reporting, an AIX Apache Server plug-in and the ability to chain multiple authentication methods. Securant also increased its support for IBM products with the additional plug-ins for Domino, IBM HTTP5.X, IBM HTTPV1.3X Web server and IBM HTTPV1.3X WebSphere.

Oblix released NetPoint Version 4.6. Additional features include support for Apache Web server, and the HP-UX and AIX operating systems. Included in the new release are several enhancements to the NetPoint APIs, including an Access server API to let customers protect non-Web resources, an authorization API that allows the use of external business logic in policy decisions.

Oblix is also expected to introduce NetPoint 5.0 sometime in the second quarter. Version 5.0 will include fully enabled XML support. In addition to XML support, 5.0 will include a "group manager" and "organization manager."

Group manager capability will let administrators set up and maintain "groups objects" of users in the directory server. The organization manager capability lets administrators set up and maintain "organizational units" in the Windows directory server.

OpenNetworks released DirectorySmart 4.51. The version includes security reporting enhancements and support for RSA SecureID tokens. Version 5.0 of DirectorySmart is scheduled for release during the second quarter of 2001 and will include enhancements to the DirectorySmart APIs, updated self-registration support as well as many administration enhancements.

Symantec is planning many new features for the next release of Webthority, which will be Version 3.1. Wireless client access will be added, as well as "wider support for authentication and authorization (including Oracle)." We could not get an exact time frame for the next release.

Entrust was expected to rev up getAccess with plug-ins for Apache and Domino sometime in March. In the third quarter of this year complete support for Novell Directory Services will be available, as well as enhanced tool kits.

In March Netegrity released SiteMinder 4.6, which will include support for double byte character sets, the Online Certificate Status Protocol, Oracle's Internet Directory and Novell's NDS 8.5. By the end of June, the company also plans to release a new version of its Delegated Management Services feature, which will have enhanced Java support.

Related links

Lewis is an information assurance specialist working at the U.S. State Department. Wilson is a security engineer at GRC International, and D'Cruze is an optical engineer at Corvis. They can be reached at slewis@ex-pressnet.com, swilson@grci.com, and martin@dcruze.com, respectively.

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