Security Spotlight

HERE'S a roundup of recent security products and services from recent issues of Law Technology News.

ApproveIt 4.6 Helps Deter Fraud

ApproveIt 4.6 deters electronic signature fraud by visibly demonstrating a signature's validity when a document is opened, and alerting recipients of any modifi-cations or copying of signatures, says Silanis Technology.

If unauthorized changes have been made, the signature is visibly crossed out and a red X is placed in the signature box.

During attempts to copy a signature from one document and paste it into another, the signature also is visibly crossed out and an exclamation point is placed in the signature box.

If the document remains unchanged post-signing, a green checkmark appears beside the signature to certify its validity.

Information: Reader Response: 200.

PC Asset Tracking

PC Asset Tracking, from Absolute Software Corp., upgrades its Computrace service, enabling its "Tracking Agent" to collect a wider range of data points from PCs. In addition to gathering location information such as originating phone number and IP address, Computrace now automatically discovers system status information, including e-mail address, operating system, hard drive size, and processor type and speed, says the Vancouver company.

Asset data is transmitted to the Computrace Monitoring Center over a phone or via an Internet connection and logged in a secure database.

Information: Reader Response: 201.

Encryption Plus

Encryption Plus CD-ROM 4.0, from PC Guardian, protects data copied onto CDs. The upgrade includes a 192-bit encryption key, and uses the Blowfish algorithm. It protects data on the master CD, from which multiple CD-ROMs are copied.

The program provides administrators with full data-recovery capabilities; allows users to protect all the data on a CD or only selected files; and offers three methods of granting access to protected information. Authorization can be set by choosing specific computers only for accessing data.

A remote password protection systems allows for one-time use of the information on a CD. The password protection set-up allows anyone with an assigned password to access the data.

Information: Reader Response: 202.

E-Lock Technologies

E-Lock Technologies software helps users to prepare electronically signed documents. The basis of E-Lock's products is an "assured transactions" architecture that integrates the standards of the electronic signature legislation, including authentication,data integrity, confiden-tiality and non-repudiation, it says. Security features include:

* - The "workbench lawyer" provides signing, encryption, verification and decryption functions.

* - The "builder" layer provides seven key attributes of authentication, data confidentiality, chain of custody, time stamping, data archiving, and audit capabilities, says the company.

Information: Reader Response: 203.

Digital Signatures

The Information Systems Audit and Control Foundation has published Digital Signatures Security & Controls, by Fred Piper, of the University of London, U.K.; Simon Blake-Wilson, of Certicom, Canada; and John Mitchell, of LHS Business Control, U.K.

Information: Reader Response: 204.

PageVault

Authentica's PageVault service is now offered as a companion to PrivateExpress digital courier service. It helps senders retain control over attached documents, even after they have been delivered. Users can allow, or deny, recipients the ability to forward, print, copy/paste, or save attachments as clear text.

Information: Reader Response: 205.

Virus Prevention

Sophos Inc. and The WildList Organizational International have launched REVS (Rapid Exchange of Virus Samples).

It is a new system designed to help members of the anti-virus industry to exchange "urgent" computer virus samples, such as Melissa, in order to pool their resources and expertise to fight rapidly-spreading viruses.

Information: Reader Response: 206.

Sony FIU-700

Sony Electronics Inc. has introduced its FIU-700 Series Fingerprint Identification System for virtual private networks and other applications. The credit card-sized biometric device provides both authentication and data security. The technology takes the best of passwords, digital certificates, hardware tokens, smart cards and biometrics, and combines them into a standalone fingerprint verification device with public key infrastructure key generation, the company says.

Information: Reader Response no. .

Information: Reader Response: 207.

COMSEC C31

COMSEC C31 can detect legal and illegal remote extension drawn loop wiretaps, reports Communications Security, of Houston. It can protect telephone, fax and computer operations, the company notes.

Information: Reader Response: 208.

SurfinGuard

SurfinGuard is a personal Internet security utility for PC users that protects against "malicious code" such as Trojan Horses and worms, says Finjan Software Inc. Finjan also debuted its new SurfinGate 5.0, a Web content security product that scans Java, ActiveX, JavaScript and other code for hostile behavior. It includes digital certificate support, allowing it to scan Microsoft Authenticode certificates.

Information: Reader Response: 209.

Achilles' Shield

Achilles' Shield software works with anti-virus programs to protect PCs between anti-virus updates, says SilverLakeTech.com. It helps prevent viruses, worms, malicious code and Trojans, (including the hijacking "Distributed Denial-of-Service Trojans"), from damaging PCs during the period of vulnerability known as the "Achilles' heel" of traditional anti-virus software.

Information: Reader Response: 210.

Anti-Piracy Software

EverAd Inc. has integrated anti-piracy messages into songs downloaded from its music site, PlayJ.com. A variety of anti-piracy banners are displayed during PlayJ's regular rotation of ads that encourage users to learn more about digital content theft. PlayJ also encrypts its downloads with a code that prevents the unauthorized duplication of music.

Information: Reader Response: 228.