The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded a $1.2 million contract to a Colorado-based software developer to use a new technology which ensures that e-mail correspondence goes where it’s meant to, the application’s creator announced today.
Greenwood Village, Colorado-based Secure64 Software Corporation’s so-called “Domain Name System Security Extensions” thwarts attacks such as pharming, cache poisoning and domain name system redirection that have been used to commit fraud, distribute malware, or steal personal or confidential information, the company said.
According to Mark Beckett, vice president of marketing for Secure64, creating trust in Internet communications is important for both national security as well as for a global economy that’s become increasingly Web-based.
“Pharming and other attacks erode user confidence in the security of the Internet, but there is no universal way to stop these attacks today,” Beckett said. “This leads organizations to invest time and money on point solutions that address only part of the problem. When widely deployed, DNSSEC eliminates these attacks, and also enables new and existing capabilities which can minimize spam. Unfortunately, DNSSEC adoption has been hampered by the lack of commercial products that make it simple and secure.”
Under its contract, Secure64 will create a solution specifically tailored to the federal government’s needs, the company said.
Without going into specifics, for reasons of security, the company said the new technology would be based on its own secure micro operating system, which is immune to attacks from “rootkits” and malware, and resists denial-of-service attacks, too.
The OS, known as “Genuinely Secure SourceT,” allows automation of online key management process within a DNS
server.
Once the company’s work for Homeland Security is done, other government agencies, Internet providers and businesses will be able to purchase it, Secure64 officials said.
According to Steve Crocker, chief executive officer of Shinkuro and chair of ICANN’s security and stability advisory committee, the new solution should help establish a sorely needed base of trust among Internet users.
“DNSSEC adoption has so far been hampered by the complexity and cost associated with developing and deploying an easy-to-use zone signing application,” Crocker said. “Solutions which simplify and automate the deployment of DNSSEC will help accelerate its adoption worldwide.”
Michael Dinan is a TMCNet Editor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
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