Security benchmark tools available

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0930/web-center-10-03-02.asp

By Diane Frank 
Oct. 3, 2002

All federal agencies can now freely distribute and use the security
configuration tools developed by the independent Center for Internet
Security (CIS) and endorsed by federal security experts.

The General Services Administration's Federal Computer Incident
Response Center this week announced an agreement signed with CIS for
the redistribution licenses, paid for by FedCIRC, the National
Security Agency, the Defense Department and other federal
organizations.

The downloads are available through a site set up specifically for
federal users at www.cisecurity.org/federalcisusers.

The tools offer a high-level security benchmark for commonly used
operating systems, applications and appliances, and organizations can
use the tools to check configurations. The tools are developed in
collaboration with all of the center's members — including experts
from government, industry and academia — but the center does not allow
the companies that make the products to be members, said Franklin
Reeder, chairman of the center.

In July, the center and several federal agencies announced the release
of the latest tool, a benchmark for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 2000
operating system. Tools are also available for other operating systems
- including Windows NT, Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Solaris and Linux -
and for Cisco Systems Inc.'s IOS routers.

The tools are available for free on the center's site, but unless an
agency has signed up as a member, the tools cannot be redistributed
throughout the organization for use on multiple systems. The FedCIRC
agreement does not provide full membership privileges, but it does
allow agency systems administrators to distribute the tools
internally, according to a center official.

Membership also allows agencies to participate in the development of
new tools and the updates to existing tools, as well as open access to
discussions among members.

Several agencies are already full members, including the Justice
Department and the Naval Surface Warfare Center.




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