IID Launches ActiveTrust DNS; Industry’s First DNS Security Solution for the Extended Enterprise

ActiveTrust DNS Detects, Diagnoses and Mitigates DNS Security Threats Throughout an Organization’s Key Partner Ecosystem

TACOMA, Wash.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Internet Identity (IID), a provider of technology and services that help organizations secure Internet presence, today announced the availability of IID ActiveTrust™ DNS (www.internetidentity.com/services/activetrust-dns), the first and only comprehensive Domain Name System (DNS) security solution for the extended enterprise. Designed to detect, diagnose and mitigate DNS security threats for both an organization and its vast web of partners, ActiveTrust DNS secures everything from Internet transactions and messages to corporate and consumer data.

“The biggest Internet security risk is usually not your own organization, but rather is your web of partners, including Software as a Service (SAAS) vendors, payment systems providers, ISPs, etc. ActiveTrust detects and mitigates threats aimed at this broad array of key partners known as an extended enterprise.”

As the translator between domain names and IP addresses, DNS is the glue that holds everything together on the Internet, from keeping time to conducting transactions to transmitting messages to sharing corporate and consumer data. By hijacking these DNS translations, attackers can drive unsuspecting surfers and corporate users to malicious sites, making large parts of the ‘Net largely useless or insecure. They can also intercept corporate e-mail, financial transactions, and other highly sensitive data and personal information. The financial and security implications associated with such acts can be tremendous. Recent DNS hijackings of CheckFree, Comcast, Baidu and Twitter highlight how vulnerable organizations are to DNS exploits.

“By redirecting DNS, hackers can easily access vital data like financial information, passwords, emails, instant messages, proprietary documents and more,” said Steve Crocker, chair of the ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee – charged with advising the ICANN community on threats to the security and integrity of the entire Internet’s DNS. “This exposure in the fundamental Internet infrastructure has long been a blind spot that is now being exploited, and it is good to see services such as ActiveTrust DNS being created to illuminate such events. Organizations should look to implement strong measures to detect and stop DNS threats before they propagate.”

According to a January 2010 report prepared by Washington, D.C. policy think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the cost of downtime incurred from a network infrastructure attack on some of the world’s leading organizations is more than six million dollars a day. With its fast identification and remediation of DNS security issues, IID ActiveTrust DNS chops issues off at the root before bad data can spread around the world. This minimizes downtime and ensures that the communication channels for an online enterprise and its vast web of contact/transaction partners are legitimate, secure and available.

Not a mere monitoring solution, ActiveTrust DNS provides action in three critical ways:

• Detect – Numerous automated systems constantly probe the DNS infrastructure for any malicious or accidental configuration issues affecting an organization and its extended enterprise. The IID team instantly alerts an organization when it identifies a suspicious change within its extended DNS.
• Diagnose – IID’s 24/7 expert team layers human intelligence and insight onto an automated system, determining the likely importance and impact of a given DNS configuration issue. The team immediately communicates critical issues to designated stakeholders within the customer organization.
• Mitigate – Through IID’s relationships with key Internet infrastructure providers, law enforcement authorities, security partners and more, it brings all parties together including extended enterprise partners, Internet service providers (ISPs), domain registrars, software vendors, etc. to resolve the issue in a timely fashion.

“With ActiveTrust DNS, IID will eliminate or at least minimize the spread of DNS attacks – saving organizations potentially tens of millions of dollars in lost customers, stolen data and recovery costs,” said IID President and CTO Rod Rasmussen. “The biggest Internet security risk is usually not your own organization, but rather is your web of partners, including Software as a Service (SAAS) vendors, payment systems providers, ISPs, etc. ActiveTrust detects and mitigates threats aimed at this broad array of key partners known as an extended enterprise.”

IID has been securing Internet presence for more than a decade. In 1997, the company discovered and disabled a phishing attack against AOL on its own (long before phishing became such a publicized problem). With its people, systems and relationships, IID is in a unique position to detect and mitigate DNS security issues 24/7.

“It’s no coincidence that IID’s ActiveTrust DNS is the first comprehensive DNS solution that will help an organization protect and secure its Internet presence,” said Craig Spiezle, Executive Director of the Online Trust Alliance (OTA). “Internet identity is building on its heritage of effective solutions which help to enhance consumer trust and protect the vitality of the Internet.”

Pricing for ActiveTrust DNS is available upon request. More information can be found at www.internetidentity.com.

About IID

Internet Identity (IID) has been providing technology and services that secure the Internet presence for an organization and its extended enterprise since the company was founded in 1996. It recently started delivering the industry’s first and only solution for detecting, diagnosing and mitigating domain name system (DNS) security and configuration issues for an organization and its extended enterprise. IID also provides anti-phishing, malware and brand security solutions for many of today’s leading financial service firms, e-commerce, social networking and ISP companies, and more. IID is working hard to deliver solutions that help keep the Internet safe and trusted for businesses. The company is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.