Argus Systems Group Locks Down Linux Servers in Just 30 Minutes

Award-winning PitBull LX Delivers Turnkey, 30-Minute Installation to Lock Down All Popular Linux Distributions and the 2.4 Kernel from Hackers and Code Red-like Threats

SAVOY, Illinois - 20 August 2001 - Argus Systems Group Inc., an international leader in application security for the extended enterprise, today announced the availability of PitBull LX for all major Linux distributions and the 2.4 Linux kernel. In just thirty minutes, a Linux administrator can quickly and easily protect Web-facing servers running top distributions from malicious attacks that alter data and Web pages, steal information or monetary assets, launch denial of service attacks or otherwise tamper with system and data resources.

"Even with the massive scramble to patch servers against Code Red, hundreds of thousands of servers were still affected, impairing services at many multinational companies," said Randy Sandone, president and CEO of Argus Systems Group. "Linux is one of the most popular Web server operating systems in the world, and has experienced its own share of attacks this year, including the Ramen worm, Adore and Lion. Using PitBull, organizations can lock down systemsand get out of the vicious and ineffective 'patch and pray' cycleto proactively protect their servers."

According to IDC Research, Linux is the second fastest growing server operating system, and accounted for 27 percent of new worldwide operating system licenses in 2000. Linux is supported by nearly every top enterprise and Internet application and hardware platform. According to Netcraft, a U.K.-based Internet consultancy, Linux is used for more public Web servers than any other non-Windows operating system-29 percent in total.

"No matter how quickly you can install patches, you are always exposed someplace," said Thane Terrill, network administrator for the Bah�'� International Community. "While Linux itself is quite a secure operating system, it does not fully protect the owner of the system from compromised applications. Locking down the system with PitBull protects against the security holes that may exist, yet about which you can do nothing."

How PitBull LX Proactively Stops Hackers

PitBull LX's unique patent-pending security implementation turns security inside-out and locks down the operating system-the foundation that controls every application action across the entire computing infrastructure-to create a secure application environment. With PitBull LX, software bugs and security flaws that could once grant an attacker system-wide access when successfully exploited, are now harmlessly contained within a single security compartment.

PitBull offers benefits not available in other security technologies, including:

• Secure Application Environment (SAE)These secure, isolated compartments cannot be penetrated by unauthorized users, by illegitimate means, or by malicious programs such as worms. Any number of compartments can reside on a single machine, which allows each application to be totally isolated from all others. If an attacker attempts to exploit a security flaw in one application, he and that exploit are contained inside a single security compartment, unable to access other applications, data or other systems in the network.

• Domain-Based Access Control (DBAC)This powerful tool supports four distinct types of access control: user, file, process and network. The combination of these four elements gives administrators a more powerful flexibility in protecting data and mission-critical applications. Additionally, administrators can grant proper, authorized access with a high degree of confidence that PitBull LX's DBAC will restrict users to only their authorized areas. DBAC even eliminates superuser vulnerabilities, one of the biggest security threats on a Linux system.

• Improved EconomicsThe combination of PitBull LX's SAE and DBAC can improve a company's economic model by greatly simplifying the security architecture and significantly increasing efficiency of server utilization. PitBull LX obviates the need for numerous security 'point products' and reduces security administration overhead. Multiple applications or customers can be securely hosted on a single machine, reducing hardware and administration overhead costs.

Availability

PitBull LX for popular Linux distributions and the 2.4 kernel are available immediately.

Turnkey installation is available for the following Linux distributions: Red Hat (6.2, 7.0, 7.1), SuSE (7.1, 7.2), Linux Mandrake (7.2, 8.0), Debian GNU/Linux (2.2) and TurboLinux (6.5). The software also supports custom installations of the 2.4 Linux kernels.

About Argus Systems Group, Inc.

Argus Systems Group, Inc. protects vital applications by locking down the invaluable intellectual property stored on Web servers, e-mail servers and corporate databases. Argus' PitBull software is the only independently-certified, trusted e-business platform available for applications running on the world's most popular operating systems, including Sun Solaris (SPARC and Intel), IBM AIX and Linux. PitBull was the focus of eWeek magazine's recent Open Hack III contest where it withstood more than 5.4 million hack attempts without a single penetration. PitBull LX was selected Best Security Solution by the German ASP Konsortium, Editor's Choice by CNET and was awarded the eWeek eXcellence Award as Best Intrusion Defense and Response product of 2001.

Headquartered in Savoy, Ill., Argus has more than 100 customers and is privately held with offices around the United States and worldwide. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.argus-systems.com.

© 2001 Argus Systems Group, Inc. PitBull and PitBull LX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Argus Systems Group, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.