According to Neoware, Solidcore's S3 Control Embedded software comprises endpoint software installed on each client, along with a central console server that runs on the combination of Windows Server 2003 and Oracle Database Sever 10g. This, the company says, "provides real-time change tracking with minimal consumption of CPU, memory, disk and network resources."
S3 Control logs all changes in a central database
(Click to enlarge)Neoware adds that S3 Control Embedded logs all attempts to change anything on the thin clients, such as:
- Files, including the Windows registry
- Network configurations
- Databases
Pre-built and customized filters are available to limit change capture to items of interest.
Solidcore claims that unlike some competing products that merely take periodic snapshots of systems, S3 Control Embedded tracks changes continuously. Therefore, it is able to catch even changes that are quickly reversed. Further, change data is available even when the thin client being tracked is offline.
S3 Control's database shows changes to each thin client
(Click to enlarge)While thin clients are inherently more tamper-resistant than traditional desktops, Solidcore suggests that S3 Control Embedded is useful "first, as... multiple channel vendors install their own software and value added services. Second, during in-production operational maintenance and support."
Solidcore says S3 Control Embedded can ensure that only software certified by the device owner can be applied to the device during manufacturing and in production and none other. Alternatively, it can also allow selected channel partners to be able to make updates to the device, then log the updates that were made.
Additionally, according to Solidcore, S3 Control Embedded can help enforce compliance with requirements relative to Payment Card Industry (PCI), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and other regulatory mandates, including ensuring that the necessary tamper-proof audit logs are present on the device.
In a statement, Jim Kirby, executive vice president of sales at Neoware, which
HP recently announced plans to acquire, said, "working with Solidcore will help ensure our systems are not compromised by any unauthorized software changes. [It also] enables us to reduce our customer's cost of operations by eliminating emergency patching and reducing help desk calls."
The S3 Control Embedded Endpoint requires 256 MB of RAM. In addition to supporting Windows XP Embedded-based devices, endpoints are available for Windows XP Professional, Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server, and various flavors of Linux or Unix. Pricing information was not released.
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