www.juniper.net/veer
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IT must contend with a complex security
landscape characterized by increasingly
sophisticated attacks, regulatory
requirements, a proliferation of new and
unmanaged network devices, and an
increasingly diverse and mobile workforce.
Enterprises not only need to control what
users do once they’re admitted to the
network, but also to identify, mitigate,
and report on any suspicious activity.
The ultimate goal is a security solution
that coordinates defenses across the
network in real time.
To date, security systems—firewalls,
intrusion detection and prevention
systems (IDP/IPS), data leakage
prevention (DLP), and others—have
operated as silos. Except for a few
vendor-proprietary implementations,
these security platforms have lacked
the ability to communicate with one
another to coordinate a meaningful
threat response.
With the new IF-MAP protocol and
extensions to the TNC architecture that
Developed by Trusted Computing Group
and dubbed the Interface for Metadata
Access Point (IF-MAP), this new standard
allows for the dynamic interchange of data
among a wide range of networking and
security devices. With IF-MAP, systems
can share real-time data about policies,
status, and behavior for continuous policy
decision-making and enforcement based
on an endpoint’s security state.
As a result, enterprises can implement
a multi-vendor security system that
delivers coordinated defense-in-depth.
IF-MAP gives enterprises greater vendor
choice and the flexibility to leverage their
investments in existing network and
security infrastructure. In addition,
IF-MAP enables more robust security
by supporting real-time threat response
and granular identity-based controls,
resulting in less downtime and data loss.
And IT will find it easier to define secu-
rity policies, troubleshoot incidents, and
generate compliance reports, reducing
operations overhead.
Beyond network access control
IF-MAP builds on and significantly extends
the benefits of existing security standards,
such as those defined for network access
control (NAC). Widespread vendor support
for NAC standards, for example, has made
it possible for enterprises to combine LAN
switches, identity management, and host
posture check software from multiple
vendors into a solution that best aligns
with their needs and budget. Key among
NAC standards are the Trusted Computing
Group’s Trusted Network Connect (TNC)
architecture for endpoint security and IEEE
802.1X, which provides port-based access
control for wired and wireless networks.
NAC is crucial in protecting corporate
assets from unauthorized users and
preventing infected devices from
connecting to the network. But, like a
moat around a castle, NAC is only one
piece of a defense-in-depth strategy; it’s
of little help if a spy slips inside the castle
walls or an attacker comes equipped with
a trebuchet and long ladders.
NEW STANDARD LAYS
THE FOUNDATION FOR
COORDINATED,
MULTIVENDOR
SECURITY
TECHNOLOGY
FEATURE
From Ethernet to HTML, standardization of IT technologies has ultimately
led to more choice, greater system interoperability, and lower costs for enterprises.
The security market is no exception. Later this year, leading vendors will begin delivering
products that support a new security standard that opens the door to powerful, multi-vendor
defense-in-depth solutions.