To view the Report card.

We tested Haystack Labs' WebStalker Pro, Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems Ltd.'s Trusted Web and Trusted Information Systems' Gauntlet ForceField in Network Computing's University of Wisconsin-Madison lab to determine how well they guard Web servers.

These security products go beyond classic firewalls and TCP filtering by attempting to secure your server in more comprehensive ways. One product, Haystack Labs' WebStalker Pro, takes proactive security actions, such as watching and reporting on unauthorized activity. Meanwhile, users continue to perform their jobs as usual, unaware that they are being watched. Not only do these security products look at your Web data to solidi fy its security, they also attempt to prevent unauthorized access to your machine. While each develops its method of security independently, the result is still a secure one.

The products we tested ran on a single-processor Sun Microsystems SPARCstation 10 running Solaris 2.51 and Netscape Communications Corp.'s Netscape Enterprise 3.0 Web server. We installed each package on its own hard drive, with its own installation of Solaris, to ensure that none of the packages interfered with one another.

WebStalker Pro walked away with top honors because it offers the most intriguing and impressive feature--an offense. Trusted Web came in a close second with its noteworthy encryption and authentication capabilities. Gauntlet ForceField provides entry-level security and was deemed a best value.

Haystack Labs WebStalker Pro
Haystack Labs garnered the Editor's Choice award simply because o f its key, unique feature--offense. WebStalker Pro not only sets up a barrier around your machine's internals to keep out criminals, but also performs quite a few proactive maneuvers should any mysterious activity occur. For instance, you can log a user off your machine for simply changing into--or even looking at--any directory you desire. None of the other products we tested even came close to this level of proactive response to an unwanted intrusion. With WebStalker Pro, you get your own team of guards to protect the internals of your Web server from intruders.

It didn't take long for WebStalker Pro to impress us. Its ability to monitor activity on a Solaris server is unparalleled. Soon after installation, we performed an initial "security interview," during which we customized WebStalker Pro's reactions to common intrusions.

To download an Adobe Acrobat .pdf format version of Web Server Security Software Features charts, click here.