KACE’s Updated Appliance Combines Systems, Security Management
KBOX Systems Management Appliance’s automated patch management improves enterprise security
KACE today announced an update to its KBOX Systems Management Appliance. The integrated security and systems management hardware now includes vulnerability assessment and remediation features.
In this release, systems and security policy management are combined to help IT improve end-point security. Patch management chores can be handled for leading operating systems and applications (such as Windows and Mac operating systems, Microsoft applications, and anti-virus updates).
If, as Gartner maintains, 90 percent of cyber attacks exploit security flaws that companies have patched, then the new patch and vulnerability management support and technology from Lumension (formerly PatchLink Corporation) will be of interest. According to the company, the number of vulnerabilities remains high but attacks are shifting from operating systems to applications. Complicating IT’s job is the increasing use of mobile devices in the enterprise.
New options in this release help IT reduce end-user impact. A new, integrated UI and agent, along with policy-based targeting and deployment options, make patching systems (including those in remote offices or off-site locations) easier. Patches are distributed from KACE to customers’ installed appliances, where user-defined policies push updates and patches to the enterprise’s systems.
IT can remotely replicate software, scripts, and patches. Remote replication can use existing servers, and patching can be scheduled by day of the week or to occur during non-business hours. The appliance can throttle bandwidth to minimize disruption and offers checkpoint restart functionality for greater efficiency in case of failure.
More information is available at http://software.dell.com/kace/ or by phone at 1-877-MGMT-DONE.
About the Author
James E. Powell is the former editorial director of Enterprise Strategies (esj.com).