ASHLAND, OR. -- August 7, 1998 -- Open Door Networks Inc. today announced availability of a beta version of a major new Mac OS security product. DoorStop (TM) is a software-based "firewall" product, letting server administrators specify, on a service-by-service basis, a list of client IP addresses that should be denied access to a particular service. DoorStop enhances the security of Macintosh servers by providing an additional level of protection, above and beyond those already built into the Mac OS and the servers themselves.
"The Mac OS is already acknowledged as one of the most secure in the world," said Alan Oppenheimer, president of Open Door Networks. "With DoorStop we're just adding one more level of easy-to-use, powerful security to that OS. DoorStop eliminates concerns about misconfiguration of servers and helps administrators notice potential security holes and break in attempts."
Unlike conventional, hardware-based firewalls, a copy of DoorStop is installed on the server machines where its features are desired. By distributing the firewall functionality down to the particular servers being protected, DoorStop can provide additional levels of flexibility and a significantly simplified user interface. Additionally, DoorStop can be tailored for Macintosh-based servers in general, and for specific Macintosh servers in particular (such as AppleShare IP, WebSTAR 3.0 and Open Door's ShareWay IP product line).
DoorStop is especially critical when run with ShareWay IP. ShareWay IP enables previously AppleTalk-only AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) servers to communicate over the Internet or an intranet. This increasingly essential capability greatly expands the reach of AFP servers such as the Mac's built-in personal file sharing. It also, however, exposes those servers, for the first time, to access from beyond an organization's AppleTalk network, requiring the additional security provided by DoorStop.
DoorStop provides machine-specific TCP (transmission control protocol) connection filtering and logging, including:
DoorStop requires a PowerPC processor, Mac OS 8.1 and Open Transport 1.3 or later, and is expected to ship by September. A beta version is available immediately off the DoorStop Web site at http://www.opendoor.com/doorstop/ along with additional information on the product. Pricing of DoorStop has not yet been determined.
Open Door Networks, Inc., a pioneer in the field of Internet tools for Macintosh computers, was founded in January, 1995 by Alan Oppenheimer, an 11-year Apple veteran and co-creator of the AppleTalk network system. Open Door's mission is to provide Macintosh users with Internet solutions that are as easy-to-use and as powerful as the Macintosh itself. Open Door Networks is located in Ashland, Oregon.
DoorStop and ShareWay IP are trademarks of Open Door Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.