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November 10, 1997, Section: News & Analysis

Smart Encryption For Remote Access

By Rutrell Yasin

For telecommuters and mobile workers who use the Internet to access their companies' private networks, manually encrypting sensitive data can be a bear. Fortress Technologies this week will bring remote users relief with its NetFortress Remote software. The software uses "smart encryption" to encrypt data automatically when a user tries to make a connection, said Gary Brooks, vice president of marketing at Fortress. "Once it is installed, it sits in the background and is transparent to the end user," Brooks said. The moment a user goes to the private domain, NetFortress Remote recognizes the signature of the user's private network and starts the encryption process, he added. The software is also very fast, encrypting at 3.6 Mbps. Additionally, Fortress will release software that lets administrators centrally manage NetFortress VPN-1 and VPN-3 hardware. NetFortress Remote costs $99; the management software sells for $1,995. Fortress also offers a QuickStart VPN starter kit that gives companies basic tools for implementing a turnkey VPN system. The kit includes two VPN-1 products, five NetFortress Remote clients and five days of security and network analysis. The starter kit costs $10,000. (www.fortresstech.com)