News Releases

HitachiSoft*today announced that it has developed a dual Windows system that uses virtual machine technology to provide customers with enhanced security. The solution addresses the need for stronger security to prevent leakage of personal and other confidential information, and to prevent contamination from computer viruses. The solution is aimed at customers with strong security requirements such as power, gas and other infrastructure companies, as well as local governments that process personal information and government institutions.

The new solution uses VMware software running on the secure SELinux^*1 operating system, in order to create two virtual Windows environments -- general and confidential environments -- running separately on a single PC. The general Windows environment can be used to access the Internet, but the separate confidential Windows environment is used when handling confidential information. The security features^*2 in SELinux enable the general Windows environment to run separately from the confidential Windows environment. Consequently, the confidential Windows environment is protected from virus contamination should the general Windows environment become infected by a virus.

HitachiSoft has developed proprietary Security Gate technology that functions as a firewall between the virtual Windows environments, permitting only secure communications. By combining Security Gate technology with the SELinux operating system, HitachiSoft has developed a system with ultra-strong security to prevent information leakage and virus contamination. For optimal ease-of-use, the system will only permit the transfer of secure text and graphic data from the general Windows environment to the confidential Windows environment.

The solution enables customers to implement fundamental strategies for preventing the spread of computer viruses and leakage of confidential information. Other benefits include better operating efficiency and space savings by enabling users to switch between general and confidential environments on a single PC, rather than using two dedicated PCs.

*1 Security-Enhanced Linux, or SELinux, was developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA) as a secure, Linux-based operating system. The mainline Linux 2.6 kernel comes standard with SELinux support, and is incorporated into commercial Linux distributions. There is no set definition of a "secure operating system," but it implies the use of enhanced access controls to better withstand intrusions and attacks. Since the initial release of SELinux at the end of 2000, HitachiSoft has conducted research into the operating system and has continued to promote SELinux through write-ups in books and magazine articles, and by developing SELinux setup assistance and management tools for open source release.

*2 Security is provided through the use of Type Enforcement, a core technology of SELinux. Type Enforcement attaches domain and type labels to processes and resources, to enable access control.

Following is a description of the features of HitachiSoft's dual Windows system.

*HitachiSoft's formal name is Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. The company is headquartered in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, and led by President and CEO Takeo Ogawa.
*All company names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the company named.

For inquiries about this news release, contact HitachiSoft at the number or address below.

Mr. Toru Takehashi, or Ms.Miki Takano,
Corporate Communications, Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.
Tel: 03-5780-6450, Fax: 03-5780-6455, e-mail: press@hitachisoft.jp/