Nortel Unveils Enhancements to Secure Network Access Solution for Enterprise-wide Endpoint Security
Toronto, Canada (ots/PRNewswire)
- Improves Secure Network Access for Internal LANs and Remote VPNs
Nortel(x) (NYSE: NT ; TSX: NT) today announced the availability of the Nortel Secure Network Access Switch, the new cornerstone of its Secure Network Access (SNA) solution. The solution is designed to provide enterprise-wide endpoint security by ensuring that any device trying to access the network complies with a common set of security policies.
Nortel's Secure Network Access solution has already been successfully deployed with customers globally to provide endpoint security for remote VPN applications. The new Nortel Secure Network Access Switch now extends this security policy enforcement to the enterprise LAN.
"Enforcing endpoint security within the enterprise LAN is just as important as ensuring secure access with remote VPN users," said Atul Bhatnagar, general manager, Enterprise Data Networks, Nortel. "Many security risks to today's enterprise networks come from internal users unknowingly introducing malicious viruses to the network due to a lack of updated security measures. Nortel SNA is designed to ensure that a single, seamless security policy is enforced not only with traditional remote access users, but with all users across the enterprise LAN."
The Nortel SNA solution complements Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP), a leading architecture and interface for network access. Nortel is working closely with Microsoft to deliver assured Network Access Protection support across Nortel's enterprise product line. Nortel plans to have its switches, routers and gateways include smart ports that can communicate with Microsoft's RADIUS-based Network Policy Server and Network Access Protection clients, enabling the enforcement of a common set of security policies across Nortel and Microsoft platforms in the network.
"With the increasing sophistication of attacks on enterprise networks, there is a growing need to enforce health and security policies on endpoint devices and network access ports." says Mike Schutz, group product manager, Windows Server division, Microsoft. "Support from industry leaders like Nortel for Network Access Protection will provide users an easy-to-deploy model to build trusted convergence-ready networks."
The new Nortel Secure Network Access Switch acts as an intelligent security gateway, coordinating a single comprehensive security policy across the enterprise network. The switch works with Nortel's industry-leading VPN routers, VPN gateways, and Ethernet Routing switches and is planned to support third party platforms in future releases. It is designed to ensure that any PC or other device attempting to access the network is fully compliant with all required antivirus, software patch, and firewall security policies. Once connected to the network, devices are then subject to proactive, always on monitoring to identify critical changes in individual PCs that may affect network security.
"Nortel's Secure Network Access Switch integrated with our existing LAN switches, enabling us to quickly provision a flexible, scalable and high- performance solution that meets our growing challenges of endpoint security and policy compliance," said Mr. John J. Sroka, chief information officer, Duane Morris, LLP, one of the largest law firms in the United States. "Our Nortel security solution now enforces access validation across wired, wireless and remote endpoints by checking all user credentials and device configuration against our corporate security mandates before granting network access."
In a separate release, Nortel today announced that it has joined the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) and will participate in its Trusted Network Connect working group. Nortel is committed to collaboration in organizations like the TCG to develop open industry specifications that help ensure secure interoperability across multi-vendor network security solutions.
The Nortel Secure Network Access solution is a key component of Nortel's layered defense approach to security. Nortel has made secure connectivity available to more than 100 million government, business and individual users worldwide. More information on Nortel security solutions can be found at www.nortel.com/enterprisesecurity.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world's most critical information. Our next-generation technologies, for both service providers and enterprises, span access and core networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications, and help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people with information. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.
Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the outcome of regulatory and criminal investigations and civil litigation actions related to Nortel's restatements and the impact any resulting legal judgments, settlements, penalties and expenses could have on Nortel's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and any related potential dilution of Nortel's common shares; the findings of Nortel's independent review and implementation of recommended remedial measures; the outcome of the ongoing independent review with respect to revenues for specific identified transactions, which review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues; the restatement or revisions of Nortel's previously announced or filed financial results and resulting negative publicity; the existence of material weaknesses in Nortel's internal control over financial reporting and the conclusion of Nortel's management and independent auditor that Nortel's internal control over financial reporting is ineffective, which could continue to impact Nortel's ability to report its results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner; the impact of Nortel's and NNL's failure to timely file their financial statements and related periodic reports, including Nortel's inability to access its shelf registration statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); the impact of management changes, including the termination for cause of Nortel's former CEO, CFO and Controller in April 2004; the sufficiency of Nortel's restructuring activities, including the work plan announced on August 19, 2004 as updated on September 30, 2004 and December 14, 2004, including the potential for higher actual costs to be incurred in connection with restructuring actions compared to the estimated costs of such actions; cautious or reduced spending by Nortel's customers; increased consolidation among Nortel's customers and the loss of customers in certain markets; fluctuations in Nortel's operating results and general industry, economic and market conditions and growth rates; fluctuations in Nortel's cash flow, level of outstanding debt and current debt ratings; Nortel's monitoring of the capital markets for opportunities to improve its capital structure and financial flexibility; Nortel's ability to recruit and retain qualified employees; the use of cash collateral to support Nortel's normal course business activities; the dependence on Nortel's subsidiaries for funding; the impact of Nortel's defined benefit plans and deferred tax assets on results of operations and Nortel's cash flow; the adverse resolution of class actions, litigation in the ordinary course of business, intellectual property disputes and similar matters; Nortel's dependence on new product development and its ability to predict market demand for particular products; Nortel's ability to integrate the operations and technologies of acquired businesses in an effective manner; the impact of rapid technological and market change; the impact of price and product competition; barriers to international growth and global economic conditions, particularly in emerging markets and including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of rationalization and consolidation in the telecommunications industry; changes in regulation of the Internet; the impact of the credit risks of Nortel's customers and the impact of customer financing and commitments; general stock market volatility; negative developments associated with Nortel's supply contracts and contract manufacturing agreements, including as a result of using a sole supplier for a key component of certain optical networks solutions; the impact of Nortel's supply and outsourcing contracts that contain delivery and installation provisions, which, if not met, could result in the payment of substantial penalties or liquidated damages; any undetected product defects, errors or failures; the future success of Nortel's strategic alliances; and certain restrictions on how Nortel and its president and chief executive officer conduct business. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Nortel with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Contact:
Bo Gowan, Tel: +1-972-685-8278, bogowan@nortel.com