Security | News

Impulse Point's Updated NAC IDs Mobile Devices

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 08/14/12

A company that develops a network access control appliance has updated its offerings to include a device identity appliance for bring-your-own-device environments as well as an end-user self-service portal for guest provisioning. Version 5.4 of Impulse Point's SafeConnect NAC platform now offers an Identity Correlation Manager (ICM), which provides real-time, identity-to-device association information.

SafeConnect provides a way for the IT organization to control access to the university network and the Internet; it also performs device assessment to ensure that user devices meet the institutional security profile, such as having an up-to-date anti-virus program installed.

ICM includes Identity Output Connectors that allow the device identity feature to integrate with third-party policy management systems, in order to allow network administrators to assign identity-based bandwidth consumption policies for mobile devices. The initial set of connectors work specifically with Palo Alto Networks and Procera Networks.

The new release includes a self-service portal that lets guests gain access to the network through self-provisioning; it also automates on-ramping of mobile devices.

Additional enhancements include:

• One-time and periodic authentication of mobile devices;
• Support for the Microsoft Windows 8/Windows Server 2012 release candidate and Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8;
• Expanded anti-virus support for Mac and Windows computers;
• A policy enforcement firewall service for Aruba Networks; and
• Updates to the reporting dashboard.

The company has upgraded its customers to the new version as part of its managed support service.

Users of Impulse Point's products include California's Napa Valley Unified School District, Pennsylvania's Central Dauphin School District, and South Carolina's Lexington County School District, among others.