Secure Computing Corp, Roseville, Califonia reckons it has come up with a 100% hacker-proof Internet site, known as Sidewinder and is offering prizes to any hacker who manages to crack it. Since it was set up six months ago, Secure Computing has logged 800 unsucessful attempts. Most of these have used conventional firewall techniques like spoofing TCP/IP protocols to gain router access, the company says. The secret to Sidewinder is its Type Enforcement security mechanism, which protects entry in to the operating system. The security mechanism separates the Sidewinder into modules. Access to these modules can be gained but the system will not accept executable code to gain access to other areas of the system, the company says. If hackers try to access password files, for example, or overstep the specific read-write and executable permission, they are given, a string of hair triggers, and alarms are set off alerting systems administration to the intrusion. Systems administrators are then given three options, the company says: they can terminate the user’s session and keep and audit trail, feed the user false data or start tracing him or her. Anyone wishing to have a go at cracking SideWinder should log into butler.sidewinder.com.
