Juniper upgrades network access protection

Juniper updates its line of unified access control tools

Juniper Networks has refreshed its line up of its unified access control (UAC) tools, adding new server hardware and firmware upgrades.

Juniper's new Network and Security Manager is based on its existing NetScreen Security Manager, adding support for its J-Series services routes, EX-Series switches, secure sockets layer (SSL) connections and UAC.

The ability it manage SSL and UAC from a single panel will ease the workload of security staff, said Anton Grashion, Juniper's security strategist in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"You could have an access control policy for people working remotely or locally," he said.

Juniper has also launched two new UAC management systems, the Infranet Controller (IC) 4500 and the 6500, which allow businesses to implement security policy controls from a central server. The IC 6500 is targeted at large, multinational organisations and can support 30,000 devices simultaneously.

Juniper's UAC 2.2 firmware is built on the open, standards-based Trusted Computing Group's (TCG) Trusted Network Connect (TNC).

With its latest release, Juniper had also added support for Microsoft's Windows Statement of Health (SoH) protocol and its embedded network access protection (NAP) agent, so any Windows Vista users or Windows XP users with service pack 3 installed, could have their network access managed through Juniper Infranet Controllers.

Juniper's UAC 2.2 firmware and the IC 4500 and IC 6500 platforms are available now. UAC 2.2 software is free for customers with current maintenance contracts, but lists at $1,500 a 25 simultaneous endpoint device.