Vernier Networks Adds Identity-Based "Command and Control" to EdgeWall 8800 NAC Appliance.

New Enterprise-Wide Dashboard Provides Unprecedented Visibility into Network Usage; Vernier offers EdgeWall demos at RSA Conference and joins TCG workshops

SAN FRANCISCO -- Vernier Networks, the leading supplier of award-winning network access control (NAC) appliances, today introduced a software upgrade for its EdgeWall 8800 appliance, which will give organizations the ability to continuously monitor and enforce desktop- and network-usage policies. Free to customers with current service contracts, EdgeWall 8800 Release 6.2 features an enterprise-wide "command and control" dashboard that automatically alerts security administrators to security breaches and allows them to immediately stop intruders. This delivers complete visibility into network usage and enforces policy compliance in real time.

Top 10 Offenders in the Network

In the new release, the EdgeWall 8800 can now identify, by name, the top offenders of corporate policies, specifically users that introduce malware and spyware, or who violate security policies.

"I have found the 'Top 10 Offenders List' one of the most useful reports on the EdgeWall 8800 appliance. It ranks the top individual users that are hogging network resources or introducing malware threats to network," said Danny Ramirez, network manager of Texas A&M University at Kingsville's Computing and Information Services Department. "Also, Vernier's new dashboard gives me visibility into network usage that was not previously possible. Now, we can associate specific users with virus, worm or spyware threats, bandwidth issues and session use. As a result, I can focus my resources on the most flagrant violators of security policy."

The EdgeWall 8800's new "command and control" dashboard offers unprecedented visibility into enterprise-class network usage. It monitors security breaches and network-usage policies, then adjusts network access control rules to eliminate them. EdgeWall features an easy-to-use interface, via Vernier's Control Server, that allows administrators to immediately identify users that introduce malware or violate a security policy, block access to those users, scan non-compliant devices and remediate security issues before re-admitting users to the network.

"In IT security, end-user education is a critical part of the battle. Being able to identify the top offenders via EdgeWall's new dashboard enables administrators to work with the most egregious culprits on the network and removes the guesswork around security policies," said Simon Khalaf, president and chief executive officer for Vernier Networks. "With EdgeWall 8800, organizations can see real-time security breaches and malware introductions occurring on their network, act immediately to stop the threats and adjust network access control policies to completely eliminate future threats to networks."

Available immediately, EdgeWall 8800 can be seen in booth #713 during the RSA Conference, which is being held at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

Vernier Networks at RSA Conference

Vernier Networks will also participate in Trusted Computing Group's (TCG) half-day RSA Conference workshop to educate users and developers about the implementation of trusted systems. The session, "Trusted Computing in Action: A Workshop to Secure the Enterprise," will be staffed by security and applications experts from a number of leading computer vendors. The session will be held Monday, Feb. 5, 12-4 p.m., in the Esplanade Gold 301 Room.

Free to registered RSA Conference attendees, the session will offer four interactive mini-workshops to allow users to set up and enable various applications for trusted PCs with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM); to deploy network access control using products and services from a variety of vendors based on the Trusted Network Connect (TNC) architecture; and to learn how to protect data and content using trusted storage concepts and capabilities.

In addition, on Feb. 6-8 in Booth 2643, TCG will demonstrate a secure network by incorporating products from a number of networking vendors. Demonstrations will show a number of capabilities, including protection against network intrusion, ability to quarantine and remediate clients, and endpoint-integrity authentication, all based on the Trusted Network Connect architecture for network access control. Additional information can be found at https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/news/events.

About Vernier Networks' NAC Appliances

Vernier offers IT administrators a complete line of EdgeWall NAC appliances that defend networks against intrusions and attacks by screening users and endpoint devices for desktop policy compliance; restrict access to network resources; inspect network and application traffic for worms and viruses; and enforce remediation on infected and out-of-compliance devices. The recently released EdgeWall 8800 is the industry's first modular high-performance NAC platform to deliver all of the following key security components: wire-speed authenticated and validated access to all users throughout the network; protection from security threats and malicious behavior; continuous compliance inspection; and a fully integrated Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) engine. All of this functionality is delivered for as little as $25 per endpoint - the lowest cost per endpoint of any current NAC solution.

About Vernier Networks

Vernier Networks delivers the industry's leading Network Access Control products that are designed to ensure network compliance. The award-winning EdgeWall product line authenticates, validates and authorizes compliant endpoints, quarantines and remediates infected devices and continuously inspects traffic for policy compliance. Vernier's products are deployed at over a thousand enterprises, higher education institutions, healthcare organizations and government agencies worldwide. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, with sales operations and channel partners worldwide, Vernier can be found on the web at www.verniernetworks.com.

Vernier Networks and the Vernier logo are trademarks of Vernier Networks, Inc.