ANDOVER, MA -- July 2, 2004 -- Enterasys Networks (NYSE: ETS), the Secure Networks CompanyTM, today announced that Sygate, the market leader of endpoint security solutions for the large enterprise, has become an Enterasys Secure Networks Certified Partner.
Sygate's offerings will complement and interoperate with Enterasys' Secure NetworksTM technology to deliver assessment capabilities for Enterasys' Trusted End-System (TES) solution to enterprise customers. TES (announced today; see separate news release), which is available now from Enterasys and Sygate, provides the industry's first deliverable solution to integrate the vulnerability assessment features of Sygate's leading security software with the dynamic policy enforcement capabilities of a Secure Networks infrastructure. TES is a standards-based, comprehensive solution that enables customers to extend granular Secure Networks capabilities to the desktop and user level.
One critical area where security remains a concern for enterprises is with PCs at the network edge. This is because many endpoints are used in uncontrolled environments, such as employees who bring their laptops to multiple offices, devices used by consultants and contractors, and workers at remote sites and home offices. The security capabilities of these endpoints, such as antivirus and personal firewall software, operating systems, or OS patches may not comply with corporate security standards.
The Trusted End-System solution solves this problem by extending security through the network to the endpoint to monitor and enforce desktop security policies, ensuring that end-user machines comply with organizational security standards whenever they use corporate network services. This level of enforcement is critical because without proper security capability, non-compliant machines can carry viruses or worms, and once a compromised machine returns to the corporate network, it can easily infect the entire IT system or degrade the performance of an enterprise's shared systems.
The Business Benefits of TES
Enterprises lose significant productivity and revenue when viruses, worms and other threats damage their networks. Unlike other approaches, TES is a simple and cost-effective way for enterprises to protect their networks from threats carried by mobile endpoints that connect to the network in the normal course of business.
Keeping infected laptop PCs or other endpoints from connecting to the network saves enterprises significant time and money. Enterasys' Trusted End-System solution enables businesses to prevent the damaging effects of viruses and worms and avoid huge IT and business costs.
TES also enhances business continuity and protects important data from theft, misuse or destruction. Preventing untrusted endpoints from connecting to the network helps enterprises comply with HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulations that require strict control over private information and unauthorized access.
Sygate has created personal firewall software-installed on an end-user's machine-that not only acts as a firewall, but also constantly verifies the security preparedness of the machine; this is known as a "true security client." This client software relies upon the 802.1x support and advanced authentication and policy capabilities of Enterasys' Secure Networks devices, to form a comprehensive security solution.
"Sygate eliminates all rogue and compromised devices, applications and behaviors from the network, ensuring continuous compliance with security policy across the organization," said Jack Martin, vice president, business development and strategic alliances for Sygate. "Joining Enterasys' Secure Networks Certified Partner program represents another important step in addressing the needs of customers who demand greater control over managed, unmanaged, and unmanageable endpoints by integrating our technology more closely with their network infrastructures."
Enterasys has performed Level 2 Secure Networks certification for the Sygate SMS Proxy Server 4.0, Enforcer 4.0 and Security Agency products. This certification demonstrates that Sygate's software solutions can integrate easily with Enterasys' Secure Networks infrastructure and enforceable policy architecture to provide end-system assessment with dynamic policy provisioning.
"There's been a lot of talk lately about strategies to secure the end systems on enterprise networks, but only Enterasys can deliver real solutions to customers today," said Cynthia Gallant, senior vice president of Enterasys' Secure Networks Group. "Our Secure Networks strategy provides customers the highest levels of security and network resiliency to ensure business continuity and the protection of critical information assets. We believe a holistic approach to IT security is required to address today's threat model, and interoperability between highly intelligent, secure networking technology from Enterasys and leading security vendors such as Sygate is a critical requirement of customers worldwide."
The Enterasys Secure Networks Advantage
Enterasys' industry-leading Secure Networks technology and solutions provide the highest infrastructure security available today. Secure Networks delivers the most granular level of security, providing visibility and control down to the network device, individual user and application level. This enables enterprises to quickly and easily detect, assess, locate and protect against attacks. This unmatched security comes from the integrated policy-based management software architecture that works with the embedded security capabilities Enterasys designs into its entire product line. This unique approach offers significant operational and business benefits, unmatched by vendor offerings that add hardware or software to multiple network access points in an attempt to increase security. In fact, Secure Networks technology can even make networks with competitors' equipment more secure.
About Enterasys Networks
Enterasys Networks (NYSE: ETS) is a global provider of Secure NetworksTM for enterprise customers. Enterasys' innovative network infrastructure offerings deliver the security, productivity and adaptability benefits required by Global 2000 organizations, coupled with the industry's strongest service and support. For more information on Enterasys and its products, including multilayer switches, core routers, WAN routers, wireless LANs, network management, and intrusion defense systems (IDS), visit enterasys.com.
About Sygate Technologies, Inc.
Sygate is the market leader of endpoint security solutions for the large enterprise. Using Sygate Secure Enterprise, the world's largest organizations protect their networks, enforce business policies, and automate security practices to regain control of network security, reduce costs, and ensure compliance across the organization. Partnerships with industry leaders, including Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Juniper Networks, Aventail, Nortel, Enterasys, Extreme Networks, and iPass, enable Sygate's technology to operate seamlessly across multiple platforms and applications. Sygate Technologies is a privately held company headquartered in Fremont, California. For more information, please visit www.sygate.com or call (866) 308-8899.
