Comprehensive Security at Every Level
Comprehensive security means going beyond simple IDs and passwords or basic encryption. It means looking at security from all aspects of systems integrity. While auditing services are included, the emphasis should be on prevention of breaches, not data collection after something has happened.

User Security
Questra recognizes that security starts with the standard security tools available, including user, group and device identification, passwords, encryption (including up to 128 bit SSL), and certificate support for both ends of any communications established. Security is an ongoing commitment, and Questra incorporates updates to each of these standard tools regularly. But Questra's focus on security extends beyond these tools.

Network Security
The Questra IDM Application Suite is designed to integrate into an existing IT environment without breaching existing safeguards. IT departments have invested money and time creating a safe corporate environment. The Questra solution is firewall friendly and is specifically designed so it will not defeat these expensive protections and reduce security—instead, it works within that environment and limits itself to specific pre-defined interactions with the device.

The Questra IDM Application Suite has built-in support for IT security mechanisms, allowing deployment in a variety of firewall configurations like the DMZ deployment depicted.

Questra has taken important security concepts and woven them into the solution’s design to further prevent potential security breaches including the ultimate test—internal security attacks.

Hardened Software Design for Application and Data Security
An important part of Questra’s expertise lies in understanding how software is developed for the embedded device world, the world that most capital equipment inhabits. Embedded device software is designed to do specific activities and is not usually general purpose, unlike much of the Internet software and communications that hackers and intellectual property pirates are able to redirect to their own ends. Questra’s software has been designed from the ground up for IDM, and does not use general purpose components.

Questra security protection also includes the prevention of certain types of security breaches, including internal breaches, at the device site. There are two security goals for a IDM system that takes security seriously—protection of vital corporate data and protection of the device itself. Lax data security could result in loss of intellectual property, exposure of confidential information, and most importantly, loss of a device user’s trust. Lax security on the device could allow a hacker to take control of a mission critical asset, thus potentially causing downtime and disruption for the device user. Those two scenarios alone make it imperative that you choose a IDM company that takes security seriously.

Commitment to Security Standards for Application and Data Security
Beyond the safeguards built into the Questra IDM Application Suite today, Questra also is committed to the evolving Web Services* security standards. Customers will benefit from the continuous improvement of these standards, as well as the standards Questra uses in transporting data between distributed applications.

Comprehensive, Hardened Design, and Commitment to Standards
Questra smart security represents a comprehensive solution at every level. Questra’s expertise in embedded device, enterprise and Internet software translates into a hardened software design that protects critical data, both from external and internal attacks. Finally, Questra’s commitment to standards means an enterprise will benefit from continuous industry improvement of these standards, as well as from the security inherent in the software design.

*Web Services standards create easy links between devices and applications leveraging the cost effectiveness of the Internet. The links are intended to limit access to the data – and just the specific data – that should be accessed. Part of the ease of interconnection stems from the use of highly accepted standards to describe (XML), find (UDDI) and transmit (SOAP) the data in question.