NetPilot passes Checkmark Accreditation

NetPilot passes rigorous firewall certification  PRESS RELEASE NETPILOT PASSES RIGOROUS FIREWALL CERTIFICATION STANDARD   Ref: w/checkmark/pr-182 01/07/1999   IMMEDIATE RELEASE   [Swansea, Wales, 12.00 GMT, Jul-01-1999] West Coast Labs today announced that, NetPilot Internet Branch Exchange has been accredited with the Firewall Checkmark standard.] This new scheme for firewall testing and certification is run by West Coast Labs, the globally-recognised independent laboratory, and is designed to give users clear and unambiguous facts about the security performance of their network. The Checkmark System delivers reliable and up-to-date verification that the firewall meets industry-accepted, published standards and is very user-oriented.  Real security solutions are put into real laboratories and tested under real world conditions. “NetPilot  has entered a very select group of products that can show they have been independently tested and certified to meet real world standards of security. Unlike some certifications, the Checkmark System utilises a black box testing methodology which is similar to the ‘crash dummy’ testing that has so improved motor vehicle safety over the years,” says Paul Robinson, technical director at West Coast Labs.  “It makes it much easier to provide genuinely useful feedback to developers, and users have the assurance that the product has been genuinely tested, rather than simply having its code assessed by ‘experts’.” “Usually having a cost-effective product is a big advantage,” says Bob Jones who developed NetPilot. “Unfortunately this has worked against us to some extent as people have found it difficult to believe that NetPilot, can include a firewall that compares favourably with firewalls from specialised vendors. Being awarded the Firewall Checkmark accreditation gives users an independent measure of just how good NetPilot’s security really is.” West Coast Labs regularly tests registered products and keeps the public informed of the status of each product through its web site (www.check-mark.com).  Where products fail to stay abreast of the standard – including any future improvements – their certification is suspended and ultimately withdrawn if the developer fails to rectify the shortcoming.  This gives users the reassurance that they can rely on Checkmark-verified products, as the manufacturer has made a serious commitment to product quality. Background   The Checkmark provides a clear and unambiguous indication of attainment of a relevant standard for users of computer security solutions. The Checkmark consists of a standard, a test and a certificate. The standard is a real-world, industry accepted test. The test may be carried out by West Coast Labs or by an accredited tester. The certificate is awarded by West Coast Labs. Several Checkmarks exist currently (or are imminent): Anti-Virus Checkmark Trojan Checkmark Firewall Checkmark Year 2000 Checkmark UPS Checkmark VPN Checkmark The Firewall Checkmark, conducted by West Coast Labs, tests to see that the products can achieve a level of protection against a wide range of today’s most common hostile attacks, from both inside and outside the organization. This gives a clear and independent indication to end users that certified firewall products can be relied on to meet today’s security requirements.  This testing procedure is repeated every twelve months (or earlier if major revisions of certified products are released). If a product fails to preserve its level of security performance, its Checkmark is suspended and even withdrawn if the manufacturer does not improve the product’s security performance. This means that users can rely on Checkmarked products since the manufacturers are making a serious commitment to the quality of their products and that is being independently verified by West Coast Labs. Users can easily verify that a product has a Checkmark by looking at the product box to see if it carries the Checkmark logo, by contacting West Coast Labs, or by visiting the Checkmark web site. The Checkmark is the dominant global standard of effectiveness of computer security products.