Press release: DdMZ network security breakthrough provides distributed security zones and business-driven security management

With its new distributed architecture, DdMZ (Distributed dedicated Militarized Zones), its software packages and powerful management engine, Bull Evidian now enables the extended enterprise to manage its security with a "business process" orientation

Paris, March 11th, 2003: Bull Evidian, the secure management software entity of Bull, today announced a powerful and innovative approach to network security: the DdMZ architecture and solutions.

Overcoming the holes of traditional DMZ network security policies, DdMZ aims at overcoming the growing limits of the traditional security implementation today, notably the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) architecture, cornerstone of network security since the 90s. Managing network security in a global 'perimeter' way, the DMZ separates with firewalls the 'outside' world from enterprise networks - supposedly trusted - and delimits between them an intermediary zone for internet services (the DMZ itself, usually including web and mail servers). If relevant in the past, when an enterprise had only one forefront connection to the outside world, this monolithic, 'one size fits all' approach now proves increasingly insufficiently secure in today's fully connected world, where each business department and application has different security and connectivity needs.

Answering the specific security needs of each application, with distributed security zones and business driven security management

Today, Bull Evidian removes this constraint by providing a breakthrough architecture and solutions: DdMZ (Distributed dedicated Militarized Zones). DdMZ associates two sets of solutions to establish a truly secure network connectivity:

• Ubiquitous host and network protection, with innovative host shield software to protect each server individually, in addition to traditional firewall gateways
• An innovative, business-process-driven network security management engine, that makes it possible to use these host and network firewalls to partition the corporation internally in different business zones, such as marketing, finance, and R&D

With DdMZ, security is adapted selectively inside the enterprise according to business process requirements. The communication flow between the DdMZ zones is tightly controlled; should one zone be breached, the others remain safe.

Evidian has adapted its NetWall firewall software to implement this new DdMZ concept and architecture efficiently. In contrast with competing solutions, NetWall's innovative management engine matches a business logic rather than a network topology logic. As a result, while trying to implement a DdMZ approach with classical firewalls on the market would lead to exponential configuration complexity and costs at each topology change, NetWall enables administrators to use a graphical, business-driven management console. This console makes it possible to centrally define and implement the DdMZs in a very intuitive and simple way.

DdMZ introduces additional security without impacting existing infrastructures: it can be applied globally or for highly sensitive departments and critical servers only, in complement behind existing firewalls and DMZs.

A proven technology

NetWall's DdMZ technology relies on Evidian's proven experience in high-end firewall and VPN, implemented at some of the most security-sensitive European corporations, defense and government organizations. In October 2002, NetWall was classified "best firewall solution" against CheckPoint, Symantec, Cisco and Utimaco solutions in Network Computing security review (German Edition). The same month, it was also awarded 5 stars out of 5 by SC Magazine, the premier magazine in IT security.

Availability and pricing

NetWall DdMZ software packages for servers and network gateways are available immediately on Solaris 8, AIX and Windows 2000. Examples of prices range from 2500 Euros for an entry-level package including 1 firewall gateway, server protection for up to 10 servers and centralized management, to 28,800 Euros for 2 firewall gateways with high availability and load balancing, server protection for up to 50 servers, and centralized management.

Evidian, OpenMaster, AccessMaster, PortalXpert and SafeKit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Evidian in the U.S. and other countries.