London, UK, 16 February 2006 – GFI today announced it has launched new reporting software for GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner 7.0 (GFI LANguard N.S.S. 7.0), the latest version of its security scanning and patch management product. The ReportPack provides a set of management and IT-level reports for GFI products through GFI’s enhanced and centralized reporting framework, GFI ReportCenter.
The GFI LANguard N.S.S. ReportPack’s primary function is to provide users with a simple, easy to use graphical security health check of their network. Data can be collated by the software to demonstrate and analyze trends in vulnerabilities, allowing organizations to make informed decisions or measure the value of a security investment in their IT infrastructure.
The reports can be presented in different views and, in a variety of formats, making them suitable for technical support staff, IT administrators, as well as C-level management. Data can be collated and shown in graphical or tabular formats, so that managers with limited technical knowledge can assess and process the data quickly and accurately. The easy to understand format can help IT staff to communicate issues and present possible solutions to their management teams more effectively. According to a recent survey conducted by IDC*, most respondents said they expect dialogue between corporate executives and information security professionals to evolve from a technical security discussion to one of risk-management strategies.
The software can diagnose the 20 most vulnerable hosts and detect the origin of security threats. This allows companies to quickly act upon the source of the problem, thereby taking steps to prevent the situation from progressing, avoiding or minimizing disrupted workflow and downtime.
Vulnerabilities can be identified and grouped by operating system or by host, allowing IT staff to isolate the problem and implement contingency plans more easily. Having more customization options ensures that IT administrators know exactly when and where there are network vulnerabilities such as missing patches or the largest amount of open trojan ports.
Reports can be scheduled to take place at regular intervals, for instance, prior to a meeting with the board to discuss progress of a new IT implementation. Reports can also be automatically exported in various formats from PDF to Excel and other formats, according to the user’s preference or to suit the task in hand.
Andre Muscat, product manager for GFI LANguard N.S.S. comments: “Management-level staff are increasingly sharing responsibility for security issues with IT staff, so it is imperative that the issues and potential solutions are presented succinctly. GFI LANguard N.S.S. ReportPack produces reports that are easily comprehensible, thereby narrowing the communications chasm between management and IT staff. IT staff can identify vulnerabilities more easily and supported by the reports, communicate security strategies to management staff more effectively.”
* ”Global Information Security Workforce” IDC, December 2005
About GFI ReportCenter and ReportPack
GFI ReportCenter is a centralized reporting framework that allows generation of various reports using data collected by different GFI products. GFI releases specialized reports for each of its products, in the form of a ReportPack; for example, the GFI LANguard N.S.S. ReportPack. The GFI LANguard N.S.S. ReportPack is a full-fledged reporting companion to GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner. This reporting package can be used to generate graphical and tabular reports based on the data collected during security scans.
Pricing and availability
The ReportPack for GFI LANguard N.S.S. is available for free to all customers purchasing or upgrading to GFI LANguard N.S.S. version 7 with a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) by March 31, 2006.*
* This offer has expired and is no longer valid.
About GFI
GFI is a leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs. With award-winning technology, an aggressive pricing strategy and a strong focus on small-to-medium sized businesses, GFI is able to satisfy the need for business continuity and productivity encountered by organizations on a global scale. GFI has offices in the US, Malta, UK, Hong Kong and Australia which support more than 200,000 installations worldwide. GFI is a channel-focused company with over 10,000 partners worldwide. GFI is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. More information about GFI can be found at http://www.gfi.com.