HP fine-tunes security management

Hewlett-Packard bolstered its security portfolio Tuesday, announcing availability of an identity management product for enterprises and a security management initiative for small and midsize businesses.

For enterprises, HP unveiled OpenView Select Federation, an identity management product using federated single sign-on technology to give users access to network and enterprise resources.

OpenView Select Federation is available through an agreement with Trustgenix, which developed an identity management software that uses industry-standard federation protocols to link multiple accounts with different providers on the Internet.

The product will provide support for Web services standards, including SAML, Versions 1.0 and 1.1, and Liberty Alliance Identity Web Services Framework (ID-WSF), versions 1.1 and 1.2, said Atul Tulshibagwale, CEO of Trustgenix.     

“Federated identity is part of an integrated technology that will become part of a larger environment,” he said. “We are hoping that federated identity becomes an easily available technology that paves the way for Web services.”

“This is a good fit with HP’s identity management solutions. It’s an extension of single-sign on, with federation extending the concept across the boundaries of trust within and between organizations,” said Scott Crawford, senior analyst at Enterprise Management Associates, an IT research and consulting company.

In extending ID management throughout enterprise management systems, HP is joining several vendors, including Computer Associates International, IBM, and Novell, which are developing security management portfolios, Crawford said.

“ID management is becoming central to enterprise integration and enterprise management generally,” Crawford said. “You need to be able to trust the people, the systems, and the networks in your enterprise, and beyond that, your partners.”

HP also announced “Layers of Security” for SMBs, part of HP’s SmartOffice initiative that is tailored to support SMBs.

“You need an approach to ongoing security management that aligns with ever-changing threats,” said Nigel Ball, HP vice president for small and midsize business solutions and programs.

HP is providing a 60-day free license for Symantec’s Client Security virus protection software for business systems. The company is also announcing the availability of Trend Micro’s anti-virus and anti-spam software pre-installed with Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 on HP ProLiant servers.