How It Works

Verification requires three basic processes; define a reference for what you want to measure against, compare what is actually found on monitored devices with that reference, and view the results. Unlike change detection solutions, this elegant and powerful solution allows you prove how well groups of devices match their desired state.

1. DEFINE REFERENCE

A reference represents the desired state for a monitored device or group of devices and can include files, file permissions, database schema, registry settings, configuration files and more. References are maintained within the ETS appliance. SignaCert enables customers to capture references for their proprietary software or for standard builds. Additionally, SignaCert provides references for commercial and open source software from the Global Trust Repository (GTR).

2. MEASURE ACTUAL

What is actually found on monitored devices is compared with their reference to determine if any deviations are present. This differs from change detection processes because the actual state of monitored devices is compared with an absolute refernece (the explicit desired state) rather than a relative reference (what the device looked like previously).

3. VIEW RESULTS

Typically results are presented as detailed deviations which allow IT administrators to quickly identify the most appropriate remediation process. Summary reports and dashboards are available to show high-level issues and historical trends.

Because references are defined independent of the devices being measured, they can be used to assess groups of devices. This greatly simplifies verification processes allowing IT administrators to manage a few common references rather than a reference for each device.