PitBull Foundation is intrusion prevention software that seeks to protect systems at the operating system level; adding O/S level enhancements protecting both access to files and applications as well as compartmentalizing programs, data, and network interfaces and restricting the available access between them. Available for Solaris 8 and 10 (now including both SPARC and x86/x64 architectures) as well as AIX, the vendor states that the product is %100 binary compatible with the base O/S; and that, therefore, off-the-shelf applications will run over the enhanced O/S without modification. Integration tools are provided enabling off-the-shelf apps to be secured within the new environment.

In addition to PitBull Foundation, the vendor also offers PitBull LX; with some of the features of PitBull Foundation (as well as some features not available in PitBull Foundation). PitBull LX is available for AIX, Solaris, and Linux (see the vendor's Web site for details of the differences between the two versions).

In brief, PitBull Foundation introduces enhanced security measures at the operating system level itself; providing extended restrictions dictating what users or processes can or cannot do. It is installed as an upgrade to the O/S, and is therefore able to implement security controls at the O/S level; such as deciding if a particular user or process is allowed to access a file, regardless how the user/file access was obtained. For example, on a PitBull protected system the superuser needn't have full access to the whole system; rather, PitBull Foundation breaks down the superuser privilege into smaller privileges that can be individually assigned (or restricted) to users--including the root user.

Other features and capabilities of the product include the implementation of system-enforced mandatory access controls on confidential objects; the "jail-cell" like ability to compartmentalize programs, data, and network interfaces such that their ability to interact is restricted; file and network resource security enhancements; authentication enhancements (such as the ability to force certain accounts to provide a second user login for confirmation); and compartmentalized (isolated) audit logging.

Also available from the vendor is the PitBull Foundation Suite, a collection of modules specifically targeted to the strengthening of Web-based transaction servers. The PitBull Foundation Suite modules utilize the PitBull Foundation security core, and include such tools as:

- Secure Communications Enforcer, which is allowed to pass validated packets between different security partitions

- Security Gate, which provides a communication gateway between compartments such that compartments can communicate but still not access each other's files directly

- A Secure CGI Module that isolates CGI functions from the Web server

- A Secure Authentication Module, which places Web authentication functions into its own compartment

- IPSec Encryption between PitBull-enabled servers

- A Secure Program Launcher, allowing lower-access level users to execute programs with a higher access level but "only in a predefined manner."

- Trusted SSH, for remote administration access

PitBull Foundation is available now. Visit the vendor's Web site for further information.