Week in Security: Network Associates Troubles, Symantec Fights Spam

• Network Associates disclosed that the U.S. Department of Justice has joined the Securities and Exchange Commission's probe into the company's financial results from 1998, 1999 and 2000. The company said it will delay filing its 2002 financial report so it can restate earnings for those years. Network Associates executives said they became aware of the DOJ investigation this quarter but declined to elaborate, saying only that the DOJ has a different role than the SEC in the matter.

• Trading of RSA Security stock was halted Wednesday. Also under investigation by the SEC, RSA said the stoppage stemmed from a Bloomberg news service headline that incorrectly reported that the status of the security vendor's SEC investigation had changed. Bloomberg issued a correction.

• Symantec unveiled a new version of its AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways product that uses several technologies to block spam in the enterprise. The product integrates a heuristic antispam engine, customized white lists and support for third-party blacklists. Symantec also announced a new partner program designed to formalize and streamline the company's partnerships with other security vendors on product interoperability.

• uRoam announced the availability of FirePass software release 3.5 for the FirePass 1000/4000 server, an SSL VPN appliance. The product supports FTP and Exchange clusters, dynamic policy-based access, and automatic log-on to terminal and file servers. Pricing starts at $11,000.

• Neoteris, a supplier of SSL VPNs, said it raised $17.5 million in funding for new product development initiatives and to expand sales, distribution and support. Battery Ventures led the funding round, which also included previous investors Jim Clark, The Barksdale Group and New Enterprise Associates.

• The RapidStream division of WatchGuard Technologies announced an appliance running Check Point Software Technologies' Next Generation firewall/VPN software. The device provides 120-Mbps VPN throughput, 200-Mbps firewall throughput, 400 IPSec tunnels and up to 8,000 sessions. WatchGuard said the appliance is designed for remote and branch offices but also can operate as a midsize VPN concentrator. The product costs $5,000.

• Imprivata announced the availability of its OneSign appliance for single sign-on to Web, client-server and legacy applications. Packaged as a pair of redundant, 1U appliances, OneSign is priced at $15,995.

• Bluesocket, a developer of wireless LAN management and security products, unveiled the Bluesocket Wireless LAN Certified Professional program, aimed at channel partners that want to offer training to their customers. Bluesocket worked with GlobalNet Training to develop the program, as well as a five-day WLAN certification program.

• GFI released GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner 3.2, which allows administrators to remotely patch all major Microsoft applications, including Office, Exchange Server and SQL Server. Pricing starts at $249 for a 50-machine license.