Scorpion Software Blog

Introducing RWWGuard 2011

 
For years Scorpion Software has differentiated itself in the SMB space by providing the only integrated two-factor authentication agent for all versions of Small Business Server since 2003. We have enjoyed much success with customers who have sensitive information being accessable through SBS, who want to ensure the user connecting through Remote Web Workplace (RWW) is the intended party. Some of the more popular verticals we have seen our RWWGuard product used in include healthcare (think small dentist offices, general practitioners, fertility clinics, health insurance etc), professional services (accounting, legal, architectural design etc) and governance (think small municipal and state driven organizations). Pretty much any industry that runs Small Business Server and has to deal with compliance governance and/or with sensitive information, RWWGuard seems to be a great fix.

With the general availability of Small Business Server 2011 Standard, we are proud to announce that we now have full support for the platform. See the screenshot below.

 
You will notice that it automatically adds a third field in Remote Web Access (RWA). [Side note, Microsoft renamed RWW to RWA, if you didn't already know]. And we have integration directly in the SBS console so you can see your RWWGuard settings in the Security section of the tool.

But we didn't stop there. With the latest generation of Windows Server Solution, there is a huge portfolio of options available that makes the remote access experience just that much better. With a rich file access user experience that allows both PCs and Macs to have easy access to all corporate files and resources from RWA all the way to direct computer and application access through Remote Desktop Services, it is clear that to properly safeguard access to these systems, we had to do more.

So in RWWGuard 2011, we don't only protect Small Business Server 2011 Standard, we ALSO protect Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials. That's right. If you are using Microsoft's newest Essential line of products to deliver cloud aware server access and NAS storage server access to the Internet, you can now enforce two-factor authentication with a combination of AuthAnvil and RWWGuard. Take a look at how it is integrated right with the Management Dashboard:

 
But, we didn't end there. Because we rewrote it to support both domain access and standalone access for Windows Storage Server 2008 Essentials, we could reuse that code to support Windows Home Server 2011. Check this out:

 
So now you can protect the entire line of Windows Server Solutions that include Remote Web Access. Standard, Essentials, Storage and Home. Pretty cool huh?

We have one more surprise for you though. We understand that in the microbusinesses who may be running Essentials or Home Server that the traditional cost of $250/year for RWWGuard may be too high. So starting today RWWGuard 2011 is FREE to all AuthAnvil customers. No matter if you are using it to protect access for one person on your Home Server or 75 people on you SBS Standard server, RWWGuard will not cost you ANYTHING. It is part of your AuthAnvil subscription now. Consider it our gift to you for being such loyal customers.

So spread the word. Let the world know that if they are running a server that has Remote Web Access (RWA), it can now be protected with RWWGuard. FREE of charge (if you have AuthAnvil of course). You can download it today in the agents section of the Customer Portal install site.

AuthAnvil v4 now available!

Well, it's finally here! Scorpion Software is pleased to announce that AuthAnvil v4 is now available for general download.

All customers can now download the latest version directly from the Customer Portal.

Want to know about some of the cool new things it can do? Check out the video below.

(If you can't see the video, click here)

You are going to find it faster, easier and streamlined to onboard almost any size of network, from just a handful of people to several thousand. Either on-premise, or in the cloud. We hope you like the outcome of that work.

Enjoy!

Using an AuthAnvil SoftToken with Yubikey

Find yourself logging into AuthAnvil protected resources a lot? Especially if you are an IT Service Provider? Well, you might want to check out the new Yubikey support we added in AuthAnvil. It allows you to use the flexibility of an AuthAnvil SoftToken to run right on a Yubikey.

Check out the video below to learn more.

(If you can't see the video, click here.)

It's a great solution that many of our early adopters just love. I know I personally use it every single day to log onto the plethora of different resources we have protected around the office. I always have my iPhone nearby which has my other SoftToken on it, very useful when out of the office. But when at my desk, its so easy to plug this into the USB port, and just "touch" and go.

Interested in using it yourself? Head over to Yubico and get yourself a few Yubikeys. On checkout, use the discount code of "scorpion1" and receive an extra 15% off your order!

Level Platforms Expands Security and Authentication Options with AuthAnvil

One of the mandates here at Scorpion Software is to ensure we provide appropriate protection for the IT Service Providers out there that manage so many of the SMBs in the space. Especially when they are acting as MSPs, automating much of the IT administration through the integration of powerful RMM tools. And we have been doing that with several RMM platforms for years. There is just so much risk and liability (like what we talked about yesterday), and the growing service providers are continuing to see the liability and lack of accountability when techs change roles, or leave the organization. And it gets worse as you consider the needs to meet compliance objectives such as PCI, HIPAA and SOX.

Last month we quietly released the AuthAnvil Management Pack for Level Platforms to meet the needs of several leading MSPs who use both our AuthAnvil solution and Level Platform's Managed Workplace 2011. The key driver of this project would have to be Dave Sobel over at Evolve Technologies, who has been a customer for a while now and who just couldn't wait to see the two platforms work together. As he mentioned in the recent Level Platform press release on the subject:

"Bringing AuthAnvil and Level Platforms together brings us the best in security and monitoring," says Dave Sobel, CEO of Evolve Technologies, an LPI partner. "We now can not only protect our customers with strong two-factor authentication, we can protect our own management environment, ensuring that data integrity and security of our customers. Two factor authentication protects our customers, our staff, and our mutual interests. I'm excited about this new set of capabilities, and how we'll secure our customers."

I'd like to really thank Dave for spearheading this. We've always wanted an opportunity to work with a fellow Canadian company like Level Platforms to deliver our solutions for our mutual customers. It takes the right business opportunity for all parties concerned to make it happen. When that happened last month, everything fell together quite quickly. Managed Workspace 2011 was easy to code to. The team at Level Platforms were great to work with. This really was a perfect example of a 'better together' solution that just makes sense for IT service providers everywhere.

So if you are client who is using Managed Workplace 2011, what are you waiting for? Head over to our documentation library and check out our new Level Platforms integration.

Beware of the evil IT guy. Especially if you are an MSP.

Saw an interesting article today from the Globe and Mail. Let me summarize the part I thought was really interesting:

Managers be warned: A significant threat to the security of your data may be the very people you pay to keep your secrets safe. That’s the message from a new survey that found more than a third of corporate information technology security professionals claim they have the ability to hold their organization’s data hostage.

Of the 500 information technology and data security staff who attended the recent Infosecurity Europe conference in London, 40 per cent boasted that they would find it easy to use their knowledge of encryption keys, shared passwords and loopholes in data security programs to walk off with any information they wanted.

And, because they know the systems and could take encryption keys and authorization codes, 31 per cent said they were sure they could hack in remotely and snoop, secretly alter files or shut down the data system, even if they no longer worked for the company.

Now think about that if you are the owner of an IT Service Provider. Especially if you consider yourself a MSP and use powerful RMM platforms like Kaseya, Labtech or Level Platforms. How does that relate to your techs, who have SO MUCH access to so many different client networks?

How are you holding them accountable? Let's talk.