Uncrackable web server?

ANALYSIS Bodacion Technologies says it's done just that. It designed its HYDRA server around a number of key security measures that it claims can thwart hacker intrusions, viruses, DoS attacks, and other security threats. If Bodacion's ultrasecure Web server is all it claims, it could be the Web security solution companies have been searching for. A look at the features and technologies that make HYDRA secure may help you decide whether it could be an effective solution for your network. What is HYDRA?
HYDRA is a Web server that combines hardware and software to improve reliability and security. Instead of relying on an operating system like Windows, HYDRA is an embedded system that runs on a kernel. Bodacion compares HYDRA to the systems used in pacemakers and flight control systems and says that because the embedded software is far smaller and less complex than the operating systems running PC servers, it is much more reliable and secure. Bodacion says its best fit is in enterprises that require a high level of reliability, availability, and security. But HYDRA isn't a server appliance that performs a specialised task. It can serve a number of functions, and it comes with Java and Genesis (a small object-oriented programming language) so users can program it to run the applications they need. Given the current reliance on systems running operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and UNIX -- all of which have their own issues and vulnerabilities -- HYDRA represents an alternative to the current way of thinking and may give net admins a way to neatly avoid having to deal with OS vulnerabilities. Security measures
Two components account for HYDRA's security: a complex encryption algorithm and an embedded system approach. Bodacion offered $100,000 to anyone who could crack the algorithm. During the 60-day period the contest was held, hundreds of thousands of participants attempted to break the code, but no one was able to decipher any of the sequences generated by HYDRA's algorithm. The mathematics behind the system enables HYDRA to generate unique passwords and session IDs that are difficult, if not impossible, to guess. According to Bodacion, the characters generated by the system repeat only once in about every 100 years. The other part of the system that helps security is the lack of an OS. Because of the complexity of existing operating systems, ferreting out all of the vulnerabilities and bugs that open the systems to attack presents a huge -- almost insurmountable -- obstacle. Does anybody really believe that Microsoft will eliminate all of the bugs in Windows that make it a prime target for hackers? It sounds like a Dilbertesque approach to securing a Web server, but Bodacion's idea is simple: by removing the OS, you remove the vulnerabilities. HYDRA's embedded system is smaller and less complex and inherently easier to secure. Embedded systems are used in many common electronics, from microwave ovens to cell phones, and are considered difficult to hack. Without an OS to take control of or exploit, hackers can't break into the system. Bodacion says that because HYDRA doesn't have an OS, there's no need for antivirus software and firewalls. Not only that, the company claims that HYDRA is more secure than firewalls anyway. Hackers can launch attacks by taking advantage of the traffic allowed through a firewall, whereas HYDRA offers nothing for the hacker to break into -- eliminating the threat of intrusion. Eliminating the OS is a novel concept, and many may be slow to warm to it. After all, we've come to rely on operating systems like Windows because of their ease of use. But although Windows' user-friendly default settings simplify setup, they also leave many openings hackers can use to their advantage.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in

Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Membership FAQ

ZDNet UK Live

dava4444

that comment bot is a nutter, it just referred me to the moderator on my own blog. shocked look. please help thank you Dava I'm afriad to...

22 minutes ago by dava4444 on Welcome to the new ZDNet UK community!
dava4444

Hi Rupert! Don't think I could fill the above shoes... but if your ever looking for a consumer rights Tech blogger..tip me the wink lol peace Dava

2 hours ago by dava4444 on Fancy working for ZDNet UK?
dava4444

Hi Rupert My photo is gone from my profile and I just got told i was a spammer by the comment bot. the navigation is gone for my profile. :O on...

2 hours ago by dava4444 on Welcome to the new ZDNet UK community!
ator1940

With windows it is always more bloat, and a lot of that seems to be duplicated in various places. I've noticed that you will have freed space on...

7 hours ago by ator1940 on Can you believe it - 2765 kB will be freed?
BuzzMyStat

Buzz My Stat : New search for http://www.zdnet.co.uk Take a look: http://www.buzzmystat.com/site/zdnet.co.uk

Karen Friar

Hi Jamie, I'm sorry your comment got caught in the spam filter. We use an industry standard blacklist for this. I suspect that the comment may...

16 hours ago by Karen Friar on Spam? Filter Changed?
J.A. Watson

Pop - Neither have I. Ever, under any circumstances. I'm much more accustomed to Windows slowly, but inexorably, consuming more and more disk...

17 hours ago by J.A. Watson on Can you believe it - 2765 kB will be freed?
John Molloy

Apple are currently pushing to get tv content on the iPad by April 3rd. This could possibly be seen as a spoiler for that announcement I suppose....

1 day ago by John Molloy
Andrew Donoghue

Hey - presume you mean something that builds on Apple's existing TV device? Apple have already had a couple of runs at building Apple TV and it's...

1 day ago by Andrew Donoghue on Google's TV timing may reveal more to come
BVE2011

Google, Sony, Intel may build TV project www.zdnet.co.uk/news/emerging-tech/2010/03/18/google-sony-intel-may-build-tv-project-40088359/

ator1940

70,0000 to 90,0000 computers? A very small number considering some of these botnets are in the millions, and there are so many of them operating,...

2 days ago by ator1940 on Microsoft says it decimated Waledac botnet
ator1940

I agree Roger, and why can't they write secure code? What will happen when they find stolen code in windows? They have a track record of...

2 days ago by ator1940 on Microsoft lashing out at Linux, open source
ator1940

Do you think it will really take days?

2 days ago by ator1940 on Microsoft previews Internet Explorer 9 with HTML 5 support
neilfab

@evilmanic have you seen the new hp on zdnetuk

Xwindowsjunkie

Wonder how many days it will take before somebody codes an exploitive hack for IE9?

2 days ago by Xwindowsjunkie on Microsoft previews Internet Explorer 9 with HTML 5 support
roger andre

There are some really good people in Microsoft and I wonder, how embarassing it must be for them to see how the organisation behaves from it's...

2 days ago by roger andre on Microsoft lashing out at Linux, open source
J.A. Watson

On further inspection, it looks like some things are missing, is it possible that there was a time lag between whatever state the site was in that...

2 days ago by J.A. Watson on Welcome to the new ZDNet UK community!
Tezzer

Ok. Now I'm getting annoyed. Previously I could just click on just about any item or comment I saw and get a reply box. How do I manage that...

2 days ago by Tezzer on ZDNet UK: faster, smarter, still IT all the way
Andrew Donoghue

hey Roger. Think I have spotted a bug as when I click on my name it takes me to the same page as if I had clicked on "Edit Profile". i.e...

2 days ago by Andrew Donoghue on ZDNet UK - Now cleaner than an Archbishop's conscience
ajclarke

Great new look for ZDNET UK web-site http://bit.ly/9R5eAA to check it out @ZDNetUK #zdnet

Featured white papers

Achieving PCI Compliance for:Privileged Password Management & Remote Vendor Access

For multi-store outlets, including retail, banking, grocery, gas, hospitality, convenience stores and others, reducing (or avoiding) the cost of in-store system support and maintenance while maintaining compliance with PCI and other requirements has become a strategic challenge.

Download now

Web 2.0 Security Threats: How to Protect Your Enterprise Network

Speaker: Dr. Chenxi Wang, Principal Analyst, Security and Risk Management, Forrester Research, Inc. As Enterprises are increasingly connected to the Internet and as hard organizational boundaries are fast disappearing, security professionals are facing fresh challenges in Enterprise computing.

Download now

MindManager - Tutorial for New Users - Short

This tutorial is for new MindManager users and teaches you how to get started, by creating maps, reading maps and organizing your information.

Download now