Symantec Outlines Vision of Next-Generation Security
Products and Partnerships Focus on Protecting Information and Interactions, Increasing Customer Confidence in a Connected World
Symantec Corp. today (10 October 2006) outlined its vision for protecting customers from the next generation of threats targeting their information and interactions. The concept Symantec calls Security 2.0 brings together an ecosystem of products, services, and partnerships to help customers remain confident in today's connected world.
“Confidence is the essential component in today's digital world,” said John W. Thompson, Symantec chairman and chief executive officer. “Consumers and enterprises alike need to feel confident that their information is safe and their interactions are secure. Otherwise, the digital lifestyle will not be as exciting or dynamic, and we will not realize the full potential that new technologies bring to the connected world.”
Thompson, speaking at a company event in New York City, said that new technologies are driving new business models and opportunities for more online interaction. The Internet has changed the way consumers bank, shop, and interact online and has enabled them to connect directly to banks and e-tailers to conduct transactions. At the same time, competitive pressures are driving organizations to embrace more online collaboration and information sharing among their increasingly distributed workforces and their global suppliers and partners.
As a result, the battleground for security is no longer just the computer, or even the network. Protecting customers' information and interactions requires more sophisticated security processes and technologies.
“As the threat landscape evolves it is critical that vendors, such as Symantec, broaden their focus to deliver next-generation security solutions that address the dynamic nature of business, the increase in real-time collaboration and online interactions, and the need for faster access to information,” said Chris Christiansen, program vice president, Security Products and Services Group, IDC.
To combat these new threats Symantec is delivering the next generation of security products and services that provide customers comprehensive protection. For consumers, Symantec is building solutions based on the fundamental tenets of identity and reputation, which are critical to furthering confidence and trust online. Norton Confidential provides Web browsing protection and confidential information management and protection. It also provides crimeware protection and anti-phishing protection via Web site authentication to help customers safely conduct online transactions. Symantec is pursuing new distribution models to enable organizations such as banks and online retailers to deliver protection directly to their customers.
For enterprises, Symantec is helping organizations manage new types of security and compliance risks, enabling them to pursue the business advantages of increased information access for customers, employees, partners, and suppliers. The dynamic nature of today's enterprise environments requires organizations to protect against risks such as data leakage or internal fraud associated with their information, including files, e-mail, instant messaging and enterprise data. To help customers reduce information risks Symantec is delivering multi-layer data leakage protection and application-specific solutions for enterprise databases, e-mail, and Web applications.
As more devices connect to complex network environments, organizations need to ensure that every endpoint, including servers, laptops, and handhelds, have up-to-date security software. Currently organizations must install and configure multiple products, which only adds to the complexity. Symantec is integrating multiple security products such as antivirus, firewall, network access control, and antispyware into a single software management solution. This will enable organizations to configure devices and manage the entire environment from a single console, improving their security while also reducing complexity.
Organizations today also have to comply with internal IT policies and external regulations, which requires a systematic and comprehensive approach to mapping regulations to policies, ensuring that they are being followed, and proving it when needed. Symantec's strategy is focused on unifying policy management, configuration management, retention management, and data protection management to provide enterprises with a comprehensive toolset for IT policy compliance.
In addition to technology, protecting customers' information and interactions also requires the right set of people and processes. Symantec Global Services offers a full range of IT risk management consulting, education, and support services, helping customers assess and manage risks to their security, availability, performance, and compliance. Symantec Global Services' extensive knowledge and technical and business expertise helps organizations reduce IT risk and cost.
“Technology is a critical part of today's education process and our top priority is protecting students and faculty from cyber threats so they can leverage our online resources with confidence,” said Seth Shestack, acting chief information security officer, Temple University. “By implementing Symantec products, we've been able to ensure student and faculty compliance with our security policy, allowing us to protect our users and the campus network, provide safe Internet access and other IT services, and maintain the university's reputation as a leading educational institution.”
Protecting customers' information and interactions requires an ecosystem of solutions, services, and partnerships. In support of its vision, Symantec is announcing new products and partnerships including:
- Norton Confidential Online Edition – This online transaction security solution allows financial institutions to help their customers bank online with confidence. The solution is based in part on the technology in Symantec's recently announced Norton Confidential product and is being delivered via new bank-to-consumer and retailer-to-consumer distribution channels.
- VeriSign® and Identity Protection – Symantec and VeriSign announced plans to deliver security solutions to combat the growing threat of consumer identity theft and fraud on the Internet. Symantec plans to offer support for the VeriSign® Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service. In addition, the two companies intend to jointly market combined identity and security solutions to financial institutions, online retailers, and end users.
- Accenture and Symantec Security Transformation Services – Symantec and Accenture today announced the establishment of Accenture and Symantec Security Transformation Services, an organization that will build and implement data security solutions for companies grappling with the increasing complexity of managing risk in their IT environment. The global organization is comprised of consultants from both companies dedicated to mitigating security risks in three key areas: compliance, security monitoring and management, and application security.
- Symantec Database Security – This new product reduces risks to information stored in major enterprise database management systems. Targeted at businesses, governments, and academia, it provides real-time fraud and data leakage detection and auditing capabilities to address growing compliance requirements for secure information access.
- Symantec Mail Security 8300 Series – This represents the next-generation mail security solution that reduces risks to information flowing in and out of the enterprise via e-mail. New integrated content filtering helps organizations protect against data leakage while ensuring compliance with external regulations and internal corporate policies related to e-mail content.
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