Compuware Corporation has announced the release of Hiperstation 7.8, which the vendor considers to be the centerpiece of its Application Auditing solution. This latest version expands Hiperstation's capabilities with the integration of Vantage, Compuware's application performance management solution, and the addition of WebSphere MQ and TCP/IP protocols. The new functionality enables organizations to more effectively protect against internal data breaches-across platforms-averting monetary losses and meeting regulations such as PCI DSS and HIPAA.

Compuware Hiperstation was launched originally as a mainframe application test management and quality assurance solution, and continues to be used for that purpose, Mark Schettenhelm, product manager, Compuware, tells 5 Minute Briefing. However, he adds, in recent years, with the proliferation of regulations and initiatives specifying care and protection of data, organizations are increasingly putting the product to work for its monitoring capabilities in order to serve as a deterrent to inappropriate activities as well as to provide forensic information to investigate suspicious activity.

Citing industry figures that the majority of all breaches in the U.S. are caused by insiders, Compuware equates Application Auditing to a "surveillance camera" that records activity between authorized internal users and business applications. Hiperstation 7.8 improves an organization's ability to stop internal breaches by now expanding the amount of information provided to auditors through increased coverage of application activity. Organizations can now capture application data and usage information across both mainframe and distributed platforms. Visibility into WebSphere MQ and TCP/IP conversations makes it possible to create searchable recordings of production applications and quickly identify potentially suspicious activity.

For more information about Hiperstation 7.8, go here.