MORE NETWORKING COMPANIES JOIN TRUSTED COMPUTING GROUP (TCG) TO SUPPORT TRUSTED NETWORK CONNECT (TNC) OPEN ARCHITECTURE FOR NETWORK ACCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTS FOR TNC ANNOUNCED

TNC Member Companies to Host Overview and Q&A on TNC for Interop New York 2006 Attendees
 

Portland, OR — September 13, 2006
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), an industry group of more than 140 members working to secure the enterprise, today announced that Extreme Networks, Infoblox, Kasperky Lab, Meru Networks, Patchlink, Q1 Labs and Trapeze Networks have joined the organization to support and further develop TCG’s non-proprietary Trusted Network Connect (TNC) architecture for trusted network access control and endpoint integrity. Also today, RSA Security reaffirmed its membership in the organization and its support for TNC.

Meru Networks, the global innovation leader in wireless infrastructure for the All-Wireless Enterprise, will support the TNC architecture across its entire wireless LAN product portfolio. TNC’s endpoint security complements the Meru WLAN System’s unique Security Services Module, which provides protection of wireless networks at the Radio Frequency (RF) signal level. Supporting TNC’s architecture will give Meru’s enterprise customers an open, standards-based wireless security solution that extends the performance, productivity and cost benefits of mission-critical business applications to mobile workers.

New TNC member Trapeze Networks is providing secured enterprise wireless LAN network solutions that support the TNC architecture by inter-working with policy enforcement platforms and providing wireless access based on client’s health or configuration. Also today, Extreme Networks, PatchLink, Q1 Labs, StillSecure and Wave Systems today announced they will begin shipping products that support the TNC architecture. Products based on the architecture will determine the security and compliance of clients attempting to connect to a network and provide a level of network access based on the configuration and integrity of the client.

• PatchLink facilitates advanced multi-vendor solutions via application program interfaces (API) for its flagship product PatchLink Update™. PatchLink is announcing that it plans to update the PatchLink Update API set to support the current versions of the Integrity Measurement Collector Interface (IF-IMC) and the Integrity Measurement Verifier Interface (IF-IMV) as defined in the TNC Architecture. This update is expected for availability in Q4 2006. The PatchLink Update API set is currently compatible with the IMC/IMV interfaces as defined in Q2 2005. This API update demonstrates PatchLink’s continued commitment to support the TNC effort.
• Q1 Labs announced it will shortly begin shipping QRadar 'Infection Control' to support the policy enforcement function of the TNC architecture. Built on the IMV specification, Infection Control provides a feedback loop to TCG Network Access Authority servers when anomalous behavior or security incidents occur after trusted connection has been granted to the network.
• Still Secure, which has been active in the TNC initiative, is working with Extreme Networks to support multiple elements of the TNC architecture, including integrity measurement, network access, server communication and others.
• Wave Systems will begin shipping its Embassy Network Access Control and Embassy Endpoint Enforcer software immediately. Embassy Network Access Control gives an IT administrator the flexibility needed to configure strong multi-factor authentication across the corporate network utilizing existing authentication hardware, including Trusted Platform Module security chips, fingerprint readers, and smart card readers. Embassy Endpoint Enforcer utilizes clients having Trusted Platform Modules to secure and verify the integrity of network access control systems, such as those based on the TNC architecture.

These new members and their solutions join several other leading solutions for TNC deployment from ConSentry Networks, General Dynamics, Fujitsu, HP ProCurve, IBM, Juniper, Nortel, OPSWAT, StillSecure, Symantec, Vernier Networks, Wave Systems and others. More than 70 of TCG’s members currently participate in the TNC effort.

Interop TNC Events
Companies working on TNC will host a series of short, free sessions next week for attendees of the Interop New York 2006 conference. Sessions will be held on Wed., Sept. 20th, at 11:30 am, 2:15 pm and 4 pm in room 2D08 at the Javits Center, New York City, and will include a short architectural overview, a discussion on customer use applications and a multivendor demonstration. For more information, go to https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/news/events/.

Demonstrations of TNC also will be hosted at the Interop Labs. InteropLabs team members also will address network access control, including TNC, in a series of classes. For demonstration or class info, go to http://interop.com/newyork/event-highlights/interoplabs/.

The TNC Architecture
The TNC architecture provides a common framework for the collection and exchange of endpoint integrity data in heterogeneous networking environments. Products based on the architecture enable clients trying to connect to a network to be evaluated against a set of policies and pre-determined platform configurations established by their organization’s IT department. Clients not meeting predetermined policies, such as those for patch levels, anti-virus software or operating system configuration, can be quarantined for remediation. TNC is based on the twin concepts of integrity and identity. Integrity is used in this case to describe the desired state of an endpoint’s “health” or configuration, as defined by IT policies. For example, a system can be checked to ensure it adheres to pre-determined policies and is not engaged in unusual or malicious behavior.

Identity ensures that systems are authenticated for authorized users only. Clients with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a piece of silicon based on TCG specifications and offering secure storage of passwords, certificates and digital keys, offer additional security in that IT can put into place policies to determine platform integrity and user identity. When systems with the TPM are used, TNC also can be enabled to provide a trusted boot mechanism that uniquely helps thwart root kits, stealthy infections that are otherwise almost impossible to detect, and similar attacks. A mix of systems with and without TPMs can be used with TNC products and services.

The TNC architecture supports a variety of network topologies, including VPNs and dial-up remote access, wireless networks, 802.1x infrastructures, and LAN environments.

About TCG
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is a not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define, and promote open standards for hardware-enabled trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG specifications will enable more secure computing environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The primary goal is to help users protect their information assets (data, passwords, keys, etc.) from compromise due to external software attack and physical theft. More information and the organization’s specifications are available at the Trusted Computing Group’s website, www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.
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