forefront

SAN FRANCISCO--Microsoft released its new identity management software at the RSA conference on Tuesday and is working on a prototype national ID card system in Germany that is designed to give consumers control over the amount of personal data they share with specific organizations.

German citizens will be using new electronic cards starting in November and the prototype project using Microsoft technology is being developed in order to roll out a pilot project in the same time frame, Scott Charney, corporate vice president of Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, said in his keynote.

Microsoft is working with the Fraunhofer Institute for … Read more

Microsoft launched its new Forefront Protection 2010 antimalware for Exchange on Monday.

The company also announced at the TechEd Europe conference in Berlin the availability of Forefront Online Protection for Exchange designed for enterprise customers who want Microsoft to host the security solution.

Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange incorporates malware engines from Microsoft and various partners, providing 38 times faster malware detection and decreasing spam to the point where only one out of 250,000 spam messages gets through, said Joel Sider, senior project manager for Microsoft's Infrastructure division.

Integration with Exchange provides the ability to scan messages and … Read more

Microsoft on Thursday said it is delaying the release of its Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 antimalware product for Windows desktops and servers until the second half of next year.

Forefront Endpoint Protection is a component of the upcoming Forefront Protection Suite, formerly code-named "Stirling."

"Based on customer feedback and market trends, we have made the strategic decision to build Forefront Endpoint Protection (FEP) on System Center Configuration Manager, Microsoft's solution to comprehensively assess, deploy, and update servers, clients, and devices," the company said in a blog post.

"This approach better aligns our customers' client … Read more

Updated 5:20 p.m. PDT with more details and comments from Microsoft executive.

Microsoft will begin offering its first hosted security service under the Forefront brand on Thursday, dubbed Forefront Online Security for Exchange and designed to help keep malware and spam out of e-mail in-boxes.

The hosted service, which will cost $20 per user per year or less based on volume licensing, targets enterprise Exchange customers and includes a Web-based console for setting up policies for virus and spam protection, said Doug Leland, general manager of Microsoft's Identity and Security Business Group.

The releases will follow the … Read more

Microsoft made its Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) beta 2 version available on Friday, adding antimalware and Secure Sockets Layer inspection but also offering an edge protection service to its latest operating-system platform.

TMG beta 2 is designed to provide a safe Web surfing environment for employees, said Bill Jensen, senior product manager for TMG, which used to be called ISA Server.

Microsoft has added built-in antimalware that detects and blocks infected files from entering the network and a network inspection service, or intrusion prevention, that blocks viruses and other malicious code based on their signature and their behavior, he … Read more

Microsoft said Thursday that it is buying Komoku, a Maryland-based company that specializes in software to detect rootkits.

As my ZDNet colleague Larry Dignan (who was more on the ball on this) points out, the move gives Microsoft's security unit the Department of Defense as a customer, along with the Department of Homeland Security.

Microsoft said it will build Komuku's technology into future versions of both its Windows OneCare consumer security products as well as Forefront, its line of security software for businesses.

The Komuku name and independent product line will go away, Microsoft said, but most of … Read more