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October 20, 1997, Section: Internet Reseller

RSA software foils would-be Net hackers

By Charlotte Dunlap

Redwood City, Calif. -- RSA Data Security Inc. is providing its authentication software free to the Internet Software Consortium.

The Internet Software Consortium is the group responsible for offering and maintaining the foundation of the Domain Name System (DNS), the protocol that translated host names into IP addresses.

RSA is offering its technology at a time when it has been receiving increased criticism for trying to establish its encryption technology as an industry standard, while continuing to charge a licensing fee.

The RSA software, called DNSsafe, includes a security engine designed to prevent address spoofing on the Internet. The software allows developers to add RSA digital signatures to their implementation of the Domain Name System, RSA said.

Lately a slew of hackers have been spoofing Net users by rerouting their IP address requests into phony Web sites. Recently, America Online subscribers revealed personal information thinking they were responding to an AOL request for information in order to update their software.

RSA officials said the move is not in response to criticism of its licensing-fee structure but aimed at curbing illegal activity and saturating the market with its technology.

"We're licensing the technology solely for the purpose of building the domain name service feature into Domain Name Servers. It's a widely distributed capability," said Scott Schnell, vice president of marketing at RSA, based here.

DNSsafe software is slated for fourth-quarter availability, at no charge to developers.