Microsoft Hypes the NAP, Unveils New Security Appliance

Published: February 7, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Microsoft is showing off one of the most important new security features in Windows Vista, Network Access Protection (NAP), at RSA Security's annual conference February 5 through 9. This week, the software giant announced that it has signed up more than 100 partners that are supporting NAP, giving the fledgling security capability real teeth in the real world. Microsoft also unveiled its own edge security appliance, the Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007.

NAP helps boost security by preventing poorly protected computers from joining a trusted network and potentially infecting other computers. The feature, which is being introduced with Windows Vista, automates the process of ensuring that Windows PCs meet certain security requirements--such as having the latest security patches from Microsoft, having up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware definitions, and having Automatic Updates turned on--before being allowed to log onto a network server. The technology also provides ways to track how far out of compliance the PCs are.

However, while NAP sounds like a timely technology, Microsoft currently only has half of the NAP equation: the client-side NAP function. The other half--support for NAP in Windows Server "Longhorn"--won't be available until Longhorn ships next year, which means Microsoft needs a little help from its partners to make NAP a reality now.

Microsoft took a big step toward building a NAP ecosystem last year when it published a white paper detailing steps that it and network giant Cisco Systems have taken to ensure compatibility between Microsoft's NAP and Cisco's version of the technology, called Network Admission Control (NAC).

At the NAC Forum 2007, January 25, in San Jose, California, some of Microsoft's partners and customers described how they're using NAP and NAC. One early adopter finding success with NAP is Louisiana State University. "As soon as we installed NAP, we found that 10 percent of the workstations had out-of-date security, and some were nine months out of compliance," says Brian Nichols, chief IT security and policy officer for LSU.

NAPpy Buds

Now Microsoft is demonstrating that it has built even more momentum with the rest of the industry.

Microsoft says 40 software and hardware vendors are demonstrating their NAP solutions at RSA, which is being held in San Francisco. Overall, more than 100 companies have adopted support for NAP in their products.

Other companies supporting NAP include: Alcatel-Lucent, Aventail, CA, Check Point Software, eEye Digital Security, F-Secure, Juniper Networks, Nortel Networks, Sophos, Symantec, Trend Micro, and VeriSign.

"The Network Access Protection ecosystem reads like a who's who of the networking and security industries," says Mark Ashida, Microsoft's general manager of enterprise networking servers. "Together, Microsoft and its partners have built a wide array of applications and end-to-end solutions to better serve customers."

IAG 2007

Microsoft and two of its hardware partners last week announced the availability of IAG 2007, a new integrated security offering that combines a firewall and virtual private networking (VPN) software, preloaded onto a server appliance.

IAG 2007 is based on Microsoft's own Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server software, as well as software it acquired in last summer's acquisition of Whale Communications of New Jersey, which continues to act as a subsidiary. Microsoft's existing ISA product provides the firewall and SSL acceleration capabilities, while Whale's IAG appliance adds SSL-encrypted VPN functionality, Web application firewall capabilities, and endpoint compliance.

Microsoft says IAG 2007 serves a growing need among companies of all sizes for the capability to secure access to a range of applications from multiple places, using the Web. "To thrive in today's fast-paced interconnected world, businesses need to balance secure access with protecting applications and network infrastructure," says Margaret Arakawa, senior director of the Security and Access Product Group at Microsoft.

Two hardware partners, Celestix Networks of California and Network Engines of Massachusetts, will build the new IAG 2007 devices for Microsoft. They'll be sold through Microsoft's network of resale partners.

Microsoft also announced it's instituted a new licensing and pricing schedule for the IAG 2007 product line.

For more information on Microsoft's NAP, see www.microsoft.com/nap.

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