NCP has released its IPsec VPN client for the Mac, NCP Secure Enterprise. The software allows a Mac client to connect to a centrally managed network, enabling users to perform tasks such as linking a home Mac to a firewalled work computer. The company's management system monitors and controls remote access via VPN, allowing a remote Mac to access needed servers with one click.
Check Point on Thursday launched its VPN and intrusion-prevention software for the iPhone. Check Point iConn VPN is designed to provide iPhone users with secure remote access to corporate network systems through VPN gateways. When working on corporate servers, users can do everything from e-mailing to accessing internal web portals, file servers and IP-based corporate applications.
Apple's MobileMe service is lacking in a useful security measure, a new report suggests. Observers note that while the web component's login process is encrypted, it does not appear to use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or any other type of encryption when actually sending data. Theoretically, this means that a hacker sharing the same Wi-Fi hotspot could intercept data a person is sending via their web browser.
equinux has released a new update for VPN Tracker, its IPsec-based Mac VPN client software. The tool is deliberately designed to mimic iChat, and can automatically connect to a VPN based on current location, as well as perform routine start-up tasks such as checking mail and mounting appropriate volumes. equinux claims to support over 300 VPN devices, from companies such as Cisco, Netgear, Nortel and more.
Equinux has updated two of its key programs, MediaCentral and VPN Tracker. MediaCentral operates as a kind of Mac equivalent to Windows Media Center, combining the playback of several types of media within one program; users can not only load music, photos and videos, but DVD movies and TV, the latter offering the option of IPTV or digital broadcast. Version 2.7 retools the TV engine for better video quality and faster channel switching, as well automatic timeshifting when hitting pause. The software costs $30.
A new denial of service (DoS) vulnerability has surfaced in Apple's Mac OS X Leopard operating system that can result in crashes, according to Heise Security. The flaw, which is an integer overflow in the load_threadstack function in mach_loader.c, occurs when processing Mach-O binaries and can lead to a kernel panic. Single user systems should not be at risk, according to the company, but multi-user setups are vulnerable because attackers do not require any special privileges to provoke the error.
Equinux on Monday debuted VPN Tracker 5, its next-generation IPSec-based VPN client for Mac OS X. VPN Tracker 5, the company said, has been completely re-written from the ground up and optimized for use on remote workstations. Featuring an entirely new user interface, VPN Tracker 5 also brings a greatly improved IPSec engine and a number of other features for working within workgroups. The company said the new user interface makes it easier to configure and manage connections and a new interactive help system points out necessary settings as well as uncovers configuration errors. In addition, VPN Tracker scans the error log and suggests what needs to be done to fix any problems, thereby reducing the number of support requests.
