Tech Players Push for Anti-Virus Spec

A group of big-name technology firms has announced plans to develop an open specification to help stop the scourge of network viruses, worms, denial-of-service attacks and host software vulnerabilities.

The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), which counts Intel , HP and Verisign among its
members, used the spotlight of this week’s Networld+Interop show to outline
plans for the new “Trusted Network Connect” specification which is due later
this year.

The TCG said the non-proprietary spec will help network operators
establish security policies requiring endpoints to achieve a minimum level
of trust before connecting to their networks. Once completed, the spec will
outline specific network policies to block vulnerable or untrusted systems
from connecting to an enterprise network.

A Trusted Network Connect sub-group has been formed under TCG’s
Infrastructure Work Group to develop the specification. Anti-virus and
network security firms have also signed on to participate in the effort,
including Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks, Funk Software, InfoExpress,
iPass,
Juniper Networks, Meetinghouse Data Communications, Network Associates,
Sygate, Symantec, Trend Micro and Zone Labs.

The non-profit
TCG
was formed in April 2003 to develop, define, and promote open specs
for embedded hardware-enabled trusted computing and security
technologies.

The group also plans to introduce a logo program to let IT department and
end users determine which systems are compliant with TCG standards.

The move to create an open spec for multi-vendor networks comes at a time
when malicious worm attacks and the exploiting of software vulnerabilities
are at an all-time high. Security researchers have warned repeatedly that
the existing approach to security enterprise networks is risky and have
called for a industry-wide approach to securing the endpoints of host
connections.

The TCG’s Trusted Network Connect spec aims at setting up a common
architecture to ensure endpoint integrity by establishing a level of trust
in the state of an endpoint. “Specifically, solutions based on the
specification will ensure the presence, status, and upgrade level of
mandated applications; revisions of signature libraries for anti-virus and
intrusion detection and prevention system applications; and the patch level
of the end-points operating system and applications,” the group said.

It will seek to ensure that there is authentication of the endpoint
machine and/or the user before connecting to the network. The spec will
also provide quarantine measures for endpoint machines not meeting the
security policy requirements for trust. If the trust requirements are not
met, the spec will outline procedures to fix the problem by upgrading software
or virus signature libraries.

The specification will be developed to work on platforms with or without
the Trusted Platform Module, a microchip that stores encryption keys,
passwords and digital certificates in
platforms. “While any networks incorporating solutions based on the Trusted
Network Connect specification will be protected, networks of systems using
Trusted Platform Modules will benefit from a higher level of security and
trust,” the group said.

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