Sequoia Systems Inc, the Marlborough, Massachusetts developer of fault-tolerant Unix systems that has not looked back since it caught the eye of Hewlett-Packard Co and won a major OEM agreement for its machines, claims that it now has the first multi-level security option for Unix available on a multiprocessor fault-tolerant computer. It is offering the option, called Secure Topix, in response to the increasing demand for data security in transaction processing environments. The multi-level security enhancement was developed in conjunction with AT&T Bell Laboratories Security Systems, and fully complies with AT&T’s Unix System V.3, the company claims. Sequoia sites can fine-tune access by setting up to 255 different security classification levels and up to 1,024 categories, with a system limit of 60,000 different labels. Once objects, such as a files, directories or devices are labelled, user access to the object can be controlled. A password generating program provides users with a random mnemonic password string to reduce the chances of someone guessing passwords to gain unauthorised access. A record is captured and maintained for every attempt to access the system to provide an investigative tool and audit trail. Secure Topix was designed to meet the US Government’s B1 security standard and can be tailored to meet the less restrictive demands of com mercial work. It starts at $30,000 and can be added to any Topix system from December.
