Wave Systems Corp. (fka WAVXQ)

[Genz2]

Symantec cannot handle SHA-2 and breaks Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2

https://www.zdnet.com/article/symantec-cannot-handle-sha-2-and-breaks-windows-7-and-server-2008-r2/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0g&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5d549613a341320001ab09d9&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Microsoft withholding updates from machines with Symantec software, because it cannot handle SHA-2 certificates and does stupid things.

If only Symantec had any sort of forewarning about Microsoft moving to use SHA-2 signed updates, everything might have gone smoother.

It seems that six months is not enough for Symantec to get its ducks in a row, as its anti-virus software is unable to handle SHA-2 signatures, and led to Microsoft withholding updates from certain devices.

In an update note for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, Microsoft said that when a device runs any Symantec or Norton antivirus program, and attempts to install an update signed only with SHA-2, the antivirus program blocks or deletes the update during installation, which could make the operating system stop working.

"Microsoft has temporarily placed a safeguard hold on devices with an affected version of Symantec Antivirus or Norton Antivirus installed to prevent them from receiving this type of Windows update until a solution is available," Microsoft said.

"We recommend that you do not manually install affected updates until a solution is available."

For its part, Symantec said an "upcoming version" of Symantec Endpoint Protection would support SHA-2.

Earlier in the year, Microsoft said it was moving away from dual-signing its updates with SHA-1 and SHA-2 due to the weakness of SHA-1.

"Unfortunately, the security of the SHA-1 hash algorithm has become less secure over time due to weaknesses found in the algorithm, increased processor performance, and the advent of cloud computing," Microsoft said at the time.

"Stronger alternatives such as the Secure Hash Algorithm 2 (SHA-2) are now strongly preferred as they do not suffer from the same issues."

Last week, Broadcom picked up Symantec's enterprise security business as well as the Symantec brand name for $10.7 billion.

The remaining portion of Symantec will keep its consumer products, such as Norton.

Reporting its first quarter results at the same time, Symantec said it would cut approximately 7% of its workforce, and disclosed revenue of $1.24 billion.
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https://www.wavesys.com/wave-alternative

The IT perimeter is gone

With tablets, smartphones, and cloud applications, your employees can access sensitive data anytime, from anywhere. Indeed, around 70 percent of security breaches and data thefts are inside jobs. Meanwhile, the hackers only get better: advanced persistent threats (APTs) appear as normal traffic, and malware can go unnoticed for weeks.

It’s a new world, one without borders. Yet most organizations are still trying to protect their data with the same old firewalls and antivirus software. It’s not working. We refer you to the headline-making breach of the week.

You have to start with the device

Wave has an alternative: security that’s built into each and every device.

We’re talking about hardware: self-encrypting drives (SEDs), which protect data when a device is stolen or lost, and trusted platform modules (TPMs), or embedded security chips. Both go in at the factory, and increasingly, both are standard. They make it possible for you to monitor and control each individual device and its data, no matter where it is. But you need software to turn on and manage your SEDs and TPMs. Wave makes that software.

We’ve been refining comprehensive, centralized management of hardware-based security longer than anyone else. More than that, we’ve shaped the field as a founding member of the Trusted Computing Group, the not-for-profit that develops and promotes industry standards for the hardware.

Security that’s confirmed, not assumed

With Wave, you’ll know that you’re secure. Because we start with the individual devices, you get a broad, deep view of your network. You can see exactly who’s on it, with what devices and what apps, at any given time. Just for example, if Bob goes home and tries to log onto Facebook with the company laptop, Wave can stop him.

A big piece of this heightened security is device authentication. Traditional two-factor authentication requires what amounts to two user IDs. But by using the TPMs inside your devices, Wave can confirm the identity of not only users, but also the devices they’re on. Combine that with fast, enforced encryption of sensitive data via your SEDs—all easily managed with Wave software—and your data is protected from the full range of modern risks: device theft, missent emails, flash drives, portable hot spots … even (and no one else can say this) hardware keyloggers. Not to mention Bob.

Do we need to say that with Wave, compliance is no problem?

Start closing your security gaps today, with what you’ve got

You might be surprised to hear that 90 percent or more of your computers probably already have TPMs. Mobile devices are catching up fast. SEDs are newer, but you probably have a bunch of those too. Machines that don’t have them can often be outfitted at little to no extra cost. So you’ve got some or all of the hardware. All you need to do is turn it on with Wave.

It’s almost as easy as it sounds. TPMs and SEDs are built to open, vendor-neutral industry standards, and so are Wave solutions. That means Wave works on your existing mix of hardware, across platforms, and will evolve with you. It’s part of what makes the Wave alternative not only more secure, but also simpler and cheaper. Total cost of ownership for Wave data protection can be almost half that of a traditional software-based system.

Questions? Read on, or contact our sales department.
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