Mirage downscales with NAC device for small offices

Security: Network Access Control This newsletter is sponsored by Nevis Networks Webcast: Cut Through NAC Hype Over the past few years, network access control has evolved to encompass a large number of endpoint security compliance, malware detection, access control and authentication products with very different focuses. Cut through the hype and confusion to find real-world NAC answers. Network World's Security: Network Access Control Newsletter, 08/14/07 Mirage downscales with NAC device for small offices By Tim Greene Mirage Networks is going downscale with its new N-120 appliance designed for smaller offices. The new box addresses several important issues facing businesses with multiple sites, some of which serve fewer than 15 employees - the rough number that the box supports. The smaller Mirage box is also simpler to configure than earlier models. This makes possible for IT staffers to guide non-technical co-workers in branch offices in how to install the devices with instructions over the phone. Network World Security Buyer's Guide Find the right security products for your enterprise - fast. From anti-spam to wireless LAN security, our Buyer's Guides have detailed information on hundreds of products in more than 20 categories. With the side-by-side comparison tool you can evaluate product features to make the best decision for your enterprise. Click here to go to the Security Buyer's Guide now. The new device costs $2,500, which puts it in a range that makes it affordable to place in a branch office, assuming it is perceived that users and the computers in that office could pose a threat to the company network. In addition to running configuration policy checks against machines as they log in, the devices also continue to monitor their behavior once they are on the network. If a PC or laptop attempts to access data that it and its user are unauthorized to reach, it can block that traffic automatically and send alerts. Cost is a key consideration for devices in offices this small. For instance, a firewall/VPN box for such an office would be considered overpriced at $2,500, so the value has to be weighed. Potential customers have to balance the cost of the NAC device against the damage that might be done by a machine that might have been held in check by the NAC gear. The answer may be that the cost is worth it, and it is certainly less than it would be if the only other option was a bigger, more expensive device.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Tim Greene is a senior editor at Network World, covering network access control, virtual private networking gear, remote access, WAN acceleration and aspects of VoIP technology. You can reach him at tgreene@nww.com. This newsletter is sponsored by Nevis Networks Webcast: Cut Through NAC Hype Over the past few years, network access control has evolved to encompass a large number of endpoint security compliance, malware detection, access control and authentication products with very different focuses. Cut through the hype and confusion to find real-world NAC answers. ARCHIVE Archive of the Security: Network Access Control Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007