Is it possible to extend an enterprise B2B security solution outward to online customers without asking those same customers to do so much as change their passwords?

The answer may be 'yes' if you consider Global Hauri's new LiveCall Suite, a security tool with a B2B lineage that proactively detects spyware, viruses and unpatched code on PCs attempting to access a business network.

LiveCall's value proposition is unique. Products that police access to business networks by way of PKI, SSL and federated identity may pose an added foil for hackers. But what if an authorized user"or a new customer"logs on using a PC infected with a keystroke logger piping user names and passwords into the wild?

Global Hauri's new LiveCall Suite can eliminate a business's need for antivirus, software patch products.

LiveCall prevents such a scenario by inspecting PCs for rogue software that could lead to fraud or identity theft before the customer is allowed onto the network, said Eric Kwon, CEO of Global Hauri, San Jose, Calif.

A one-time ActiveX download to the client PC from LiveCall's server-based software sets the controls in motion to not only initiate a complete, up-to-date virus scan on the PC, but also identify and assist with patch-management issues, eliminating the need for a number of point antivirus and software patch products in one fell swoop, Kwon said.

In only a few seconds, the PC scanning process is performed each time a LiveCall-readied customer attempts to log on to a LiveCall-enabled network. Current virus definitions and the latest patch-release information are updated to the business network server in realtime from Global Hauri's central database, which is certified as "cutting-edge" by both West Coast Labs and the Microsoft Virus Information Alliance. If viruses or keyloggers are discovered on a PC requesting network access, or if the PC operating system is found unpatched, LiveCall directs the PC user along a path of remediation that becomes the PC user's responsibility to complete, lest they be locked out of the network indefinitely.

"Unless you fix the problem, you do not get in," Kwon said.

Compliance regulations have given businesses a way to use LiveCall to potentially increase their online customer base. Enter California Senate Bill 1386, civil code from the Golden State which, as of July 2003, requires California residents be notified of any breach of an online network that may have led to an unauthorized person acquiring their unencrypted personal information.

The new regulation applies to all companies doing online business with Californians, even if a company is based elsewhere. Because of this, Global Hauri is compiling a list of firms whose online sites are protected by LiveCall, a list that Kwon said will guide customers to LiveCall-enabled Web services.

Beyond helping to prevent personal info from falling into malicious hands, Global Hauri gives businesses, banks and other institutions the ability to use LiveCall to actually woo customers to their online services, essentially providing free antivirus, patch management and peace of mind to online customers choosing to employ their e-services, Kwon said.

LiveCall is flexibly priced per client seat, and Global Hauri is looking to add to its list of resellers, Kwon said. Roy Miehe, founder and president of AA Antivirus, a Global Hauri partner in Campbell, Calif., has experienced firsthand how aggressive a push Global Hauri is making with LiveCall. Miehe resells a wide range of antivirus products and security solutions from a number of major vendors, and generally opted for Trend Micro products before being introduced to Global Hauri, he said. Driving Miehe's decision to displace Trend Micro with Global Hauri? One word: service.

"I had a client back East with an 800-node network, which had McAfee and Symantec on client PCs. Their IT staff couldn't even do the uninstall on the other [antivirus] software, so Hauri flies their team out there to perform the uninstall. You tell me if that's good partner service or not?" Miehe said.

By Dan Neel, CRN
12:00 PM EDT Fri. Jun. 25, 2004
From the June 28, 2004 CRN

http://www.crn.com/sections/security/security.jhtml?articleId=22101669