Wave Systems Corp. unveiled Wave Endpoint Monitor, a solution that leverages an industry standard security chip for detecting and mitigating malware and other advanced persistent threats that lurk surreptitiously in host systems, stealing confidential data that can then be exploited for economic, political, or strategic gain.

Recent media reports indicate these types of advanced cyber-attacks are increasingly more common across all public and commercial sectors than previously thought. The National Institute of Standards and Technology recognized this reality and issued initial guidelines for protecting a computer’s basic input/output system in its special publication 800-147.

In response, Wave developed Endpoint Monitor, which uses the Trusted Platform Module embedded in business-class PCs to ferret out APTs by scanning a system’s environment before the operating system loads for anomalous behaviors that can be linked to the presence of malware. If anomalies are detected, IT is alerted immediately with real-time analytics.

“To protect against today’s advanced threats, it’s critical to have a strong foundation of trust in all endpoint devices,” says Steven Sprague, Wave’s CEO and president. “That starts by knowing that your PC has not been changed by a third party—and is free of malware in the BIOS—and extends to verifying the identity of the device. Wave Endpoint Monitor gives IT a powerful tool to collect, manage and analyze pre-OS health information, and to leverage the advanced hardware trust enabled by the TPM.”

Almost a decade ago, the computer industry recognized the growing threat of cyber-attacks and, in response, formed the Trusted Computing Group, an international industry standards body committed to promoting technologies and standards intended to make computers more secure, reliable and less prone to viruses and malware. One such TCG standard outlines the specifications for an embedded security chip called the TPM, included on business-class PCs. Dell, HP, and Lenovo include TPMs as part of their standard hardware configurations and have shipped hundreds of millions of TPM-equipped systems—ready to defend organizations against APTs and other types of sophisticated threats.

Microsoft has put renewed focus on the advanced security capabilities of the TPM with the preview of its new Windows 8 operating system. Windows 8 allows automatic provisioning of the TPM and provides new programming interfaces to use features in the TPM.

Key features of Wave Endpoint Monitor include:

•    The capture of verifiable PC health and security metrics at system boot (before the operating system loads).

•    Secure reports of the PC health data for central reporting and analysis (ensuring the data came from a ‘known’ device).

•    Alerts for IT administrators to potential threats to a system.

•    Configurable reporting and query tools.

•    Compatibility with platforms that have any TPM.


http://www.wave.com/news/press_archive/11/110920_WEM.asp#