ProCurve Networking by HP Strengthens Network Security Through Integration with Microsoft NAP Technology
A great NAP Partner of ours, ProCurve Networking, recently announced even greater support of NAP in their suite of products. I am posting the meat of the announcement below. I hope to get a personal demo of this soon and get some video of it up on the blog!
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 21, 2008 – ProCurve Networking by HP today announced with Microsoft a solution to protect networks with open, secure, standards-based interoperability that integrates ProCurve’s trusted infrastructure, policy management system and Microsoft’s Network Access Protection (NAP) technology.
ProCurve Identity Driven Manager (IDM) policy management tool is now compatible with Microsoft® NAP technology, providing customized network access policies for admission of users and clients across both wired and wireless environments.
“Having ProCurve switches, access points and IDM complement Microsoft’s NAP architecture provides customers with robust network security,” said Mauricio Sanchez, chief security architect, ProCurve Networking by HP. “Through this integration, ProCurve continues to deliver on its ProActive Defense strategy, which combines access control and network immunity with trusted architecture to defend against potential security threats.”
Calvin Choe, director of Technical Business Development in the Enterprise Networking Group at Microsoft, said, “The integration of Microsoft Network Access Protection and ProCurve networking products provides customers with a network security solution to protect their information assets.”
ProCurve IDM provides network administrators with the ability to centrally define and apply policy-based network access rights that allow the network to adapt automatically to the needs of users and devices as they connect, thereby enforcing network security while providing appropriate access to network users and devices.
Microsoft NAP is a policy enforcement technology built into the Windows Vista® and Windows® Server 2008 operating systems that allows customers to better protect network assets from unhealthy computers by enforcing compliance with network health policies. Microsoft NAP technology also will be available with Windows XP SP3.
“ProCurve is making network access control easier to integrate in enterprise networks and the beauty of Microsoft’s NAP is in the simplicity of deployment,” said Joel Snyder, senior partner at Opus One, a consulting and information services company based in Tuscon, Ariz. ”ProCurve’s IDM integrates cleanly with Microsoft’s NAP and provides security without complicating the deployment. Together it’s a win-win situation.”
Microsoft and ProCurve Networking by HP are longtime collaborators. Their work includes defining the IEEE 802.1X standard and their involvement within the Trusted Computing Group to develop and promote open, vendor-neutral, industry-standard specifications. In addition, HP and Microsoft’s relationship includes collaborative product engineering and development that equips customers with high-quality and cost-effective solutions.
“The combination of Microsoft NAP with ProCurve secure networking products provides customers with more choices to select interoperable solutions that improve information security, network resiliency and overall business efficiency,” said Greg Huza, Enterprise Systems Consultant at Heartland Business Systems based in Neenah, Wis. “We’re extremely excited about the opportunities this opens for us to reach a broader base of customers and increase sales.”
Cheers!
{Jeff Sigman}{Senior Program Manager & NAP Hero}{Enterprise Security Group}
{NAPBlog, FAQ, Forum, MSDN, Site and my bloÿg}