Enterasys Networks Introduces Enterasys Sentinel, Industry's First Federated Solution for Secure Network Access Control; Provides Enterprises with Proactive Assessment, Authentication and Assisted Remediation of Both User and Machine-Centric Endpoints.

ANDOVER, Mass. & LAS VEGAS -- Enterasys Networks(R), the Secure Networks Company(TM), today introduced Enterasys Sentinel, the industry's first federated solution for secure network access control. Enterasys Sentinel delivers a proactive approach to network security by preventing unauthorized or compromised devices from gaining access to the enterprise network. Seamlessly integrating with the company's industry-leading Secure Networks(TM) portfolio, Enterasys Sentinel is among the company's full line of policy-based products and solutions on exhibit in Booth 1148 at Interop 2006 in Las Vegas.

Enterasys Sentinel enhances enterprise security by supporting multiple authentication methods to control network access and by quickly and effectively assessing the threat level of devices attempting to connect to the network.

Wheaton College in Illinois recently purchased the Enterasys Sentinel solution to authenticate and assess every user connecting to the college's IT infrastructure. This enables the private liberal arts college to screen for vulnerable systems and ensure that patch levels are up to date.

According to Gary N. Larson, dean of information and technology at Wheaton, Enterasys Sentinel is the ideal solution for the college's current challenges. "We were looking for a tool that could dynamically assign access services to users according to the results of their assessments, and Enterasys Sentinel does just that. In addition, for regulatory compliance we really like the flexibility and usability of the reporting capabilities, which enables us to see statistics on who is using the network, where they are, and how they're using it."

In stark contrast to most other implementations of network access control, Enterasys Sentinel does not require an assessment agent. This agentless approach significantly reduces the complexity of deploying network security by eliminating the need to install and maintain separate software on every PC. This is particularly valuable in environments such as higher education, where it is not feasible to install client software on student or faculty workstations. The agentless approach also extends network access control--for the first time--to the full range of devices that connect to the enterprise network, including environmental systems, building management systems and guest-user workstations.

"Enterprises must be accountable for protecting and securing the private data that traverses their networks. That data is subject to an increasing number and variety of threats," said Joel Conover, research director with Current Analysis. "Enterasys Sentinel combines identity, location awareness, network-based intelligence and assessment services in a way that brings the first line of defense--ensuring that only trusted systems can connect to the network--into the network itself, rather than depending on agent-based assessment technology."

Enterasys Sentinel is a standards-based product that is fully interoperable with heterogeneous network environments. It enables enterprises using Enterasys Secure Networks technology to maximize their investment because Enterasys Sentinel fully leverages the policy-based security architecture of existing switches, routers and other infrastructure devices. It also fully integrates with Enterasys NetSight(R) Automated Security Manager, which responds to security events by dynamically reconfiguring network devices.

"Enterasys Sentinel is the next generation of Enterasys' Secure Networks architecture," said Leon Woo, Enterasys Networks executive vice president of engineering and chief technology officer. "Until now, most of the emphasis in network security has been on resolving security threats that have already penetrated the network. Enterasys Sentinel is a proactive solution that prevents compromised PCs or other devices from connecting to the network. It drastically reduces the number of potential security threats and avoids costly network downtime that can disrupt business continuity."

The Enterasys Secure Networks Advantage

Enterasys' industry-leading Secure Networks products and solutions provide the industry's most comprehensive embedded infrastructure security available today. Secure Networks delivers granular policy-based security, providing visibility and control down to the network device, individual user and application level, which enables network managers to quickly and easily detect, assess, locate and protect against attacks. This unmatched security comes from the integrated policy-based management software architecture that works with the embedded security capabilities Enterasys designs into its entire product line. Enterasys' unique architectural approach offers significant operational and business benefits, unmatched by vendors that add hardware or software to multiple network access points in an attempt to increase security. In fact, Secure Networks technology can even make networks with competitors' equipment more secure.

About Enterasys Networks

Enterasys Networks--the Secure Networks Company--provides enterprises with the most integrated, up-to-date portfolio of security-enabled network infrastructure products, centralized command and control software, and advanced security applications available today. Information about the company's award-winning line of policy-enabled switches, routers, wireless products, security software, and services is available at www.enterasys.com.