RSA: Well and truly mainstream

Nortel Networks also plans to introduce products and updates to its Secure Network Access portfolio. These technologies all target risks from internal users who may unknowingly introduce malicious viruses to a company network.

Sellers of identity and access management products that let businesses manage usernames and passwords, as well as oversee access to corporate resources, are also making noise at RSA.

Computer Associates plans to announce the integration of its SiteMinder and Single Sign-On products for enterprise Web, client server and legacy systems.

In addition, Oracle is readying Identity Management 10g Release 3, a new version of its authentication and access management suite. The product is due out in May and will blend technologies Oracle acquired when it bought OctetString and Thor Technologies last year, the company plans to announce next week.

On the PC security side, Internet security company CallingID is set to release a version of its toolbar for the Firefox Web browser. The toolbar is designed to offer protection against phishing and other online attacks. It shows, among other things, who owns the sites a surfer visits and indicates whether the site can be trusted for business transactions.

Zone Labs, part of Check Point, is expected to introduce a 64-bit version of ZoneAlarm Pro, a product that includes spyware protection and a firewall.

For Linux users, Eset will launch a new version of its NOD32 software. The product protects Linux systems against a host of threats, including viruses, Trojans, spyware, phishing and other malicious software, the company said.

To secure wireless connections, AirTight Networks plans to announce SpectraGuard Safe software, which lets administrators control wireless connections on PCs. It's designed to allow or prevent connections using various technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and EVDO.

There are also options for file security. Tablus intends to give details about a technology relationship that will enable its customers to encrypt information on the fly. At the same time, GuardianEdge plans to launch the company's Encryption Plus Hard Disk platform, a full-disk encryption product.

Companies worried about an increase in the use of Skype on their networks can turn to Blue Coat Systems. The proxy-appliance maker plans to announce changes to its product line to allow network administrators to control which users can use Skype. Previously Blue Coat's products allowed only organisation-wide blocking of the popular Internet telephony application.

In the enterprise rights management space, Liquid Machines plans to announce Document Control 6.0. The update is set for release in April and works with Microsoft's Windows Rights Management Services. New features include secure collaboration, application-level auditing and reporting, centralised policy administration and enforcement, and support for the Microsoft .Net architecture, the company said.

Vulnerability management company nCircle will show a new tool designed to help enterprises analyse security data. Called nCircle Focus and set to arrive in April, the tool promises to help companies more efficiently identify where there are risks, the company said.

nCircle faces competition from Novell, which plans to show off a new version of Novell Audit. The secure logging and auditing product collects data about the security, system and application events that occur across a network. Novell Audit can immediately notify users when a security breach occurs, the company said.

You've got email tools
On the email side, antivirus software maker Sophos is set to introduce the ES4000, an email security appliance. The new product, due by the end of March, offers automatic updates and Web-based management features. It also removes viruses, spam, spyware, Trojans and other forms of malicious software from email, Sophos said.

In the same realm but on the hosted side, Postini said it will launch its Postini Encryption Manager. The company has integrated encryption technology from Zix with its technology to allow its customers to secure sensitive email, including to recipients who don't have encryption software.

Database security vendors are also seeking the spotlight. Application Security will demonstrate a new version of AppRadar, its database intrusion detection and security auditing product. Scheduled to be available next month, the new version improves protection for databases against attacks, abuse or misuse without degrading database performance, the company said.

Another database security company, Guardium, is set to showcase its recently announced Data Privacy Accelerator, which is designed to prevent unauthorised access to confidential data stored in databases. Guardium's appliances support major databases, and the new product includes policies, real-time alerts and audit reports.

Protegrity said it will unveil a product to protect sensitive data inside a company. Defiance 4.0 is a suite of tools meant to protect data at the application, storage, file and database levels. It also includes auditing capabilities.

The show will still have plenty for the cryptography die-hards, including the traditional cryptographers panel and a session that might cause a stir, called Cryptanalysis of Hash Functions and Potential Dangers.