ManageSoft® to support Microsoft®
Network Access Protection initiative
ManageSoft security will help specify remediation steps and automate corrective actions to issue compliant health certificate for network endpoints
February 13, 2006 Boston, MA, USA
ManageSoft®, a leading, privately held provider of intelligent solutions to help enterprises deploy, secure, and manage their client software and computing infrastructures, today announced its ManageSoft Security solution will support the Microsoft® Network Access Protection (NAP) initiative.
Enterprises today must address the challenge posed by non-compliant PCs seeking access to the company's internal network (such as a notebook computer that's been used outside the corporate network). IT professionals need an automated, standard method to protect their data and resources by ensuring those machines conform to the company's defined security and manageability standards, such as updated patches and virus-definition files.
Network Access Protection is Microsoft's comprehensive platform for automatically monitoring and controlling access to corporate networks and updating non-compliant computers prior to granting access. Working in concert with Microsoft Network Access Protection, the ManageSoft Security Manager transforms desktops, laptops, and servers into self-auditing, self-patching, self-configuring devices that automatically comply with the enterprise's defined security policies. These additional layers of security help enterprises prevent virus attacks, reduce security risks, prevent breaches and unauthorized access, and improve compliance.
"We are very happy to work with Microsoft to deliver this extended level of security and protection to the enterprise IT infrastructure," said Walter J. Elliot, chief executive officer of ManageSoft. "Microsoft Network Access Protection is an ideal complement to the ManageSoft Security Manager and will strengthen our ability to help enterprise IT centrally define and control security policies and automate remediation."
"We welcome ManageSoft to a select group of technology companies that are working with Microsoft to provide vision, leadership, and targeted functionality to improve network access security," said Mike Schutz, group product manager, Windows Server Division at Microsoft Corp. "Microsoft and its partners, such as ManageSoft, are developing a wide array of applications and end-to-end solutions in the areas of client security, patch management, networking and system integration."
A Solution for Automating Security-Policy Compliance
With Microsoft Network Access Protection support, the ManageSoft Security Manager will enable IT administrators to define policies and automate remediation steps that must be completed before Network Access Protection issues a compliant health certificate and permits the user to access corporate network resources. For example, an administrator can specify which patches must be installed, identify malware that must be removed, define vulnerabilities that must be rectified, or specify the level of anti-virus signatures that must be installed. Key features of the ManageSoft Security Manager with support for Microsoft Network Access Protection include:
- Centralized policy definition
- Hands-free, automated security-patch deployment
- Malware detection and remediation
- Vulnerability scanning
- Anti-virus signature file updates
- Shutdown of non-approved applications and peripheral devices
- Alerts, auditing, and reporting
Product Timeline
The ManageSoft Security Manager is available today from ManageSoft and its authorized distributors. ManageSoft will ship the ManageSoft Security Manager, supporting Microsoft Network Access Protection, when Microsoft makes Network Access Protection services available as part of its next version of Microsoft Windows server release codenamed "Longhorn." Demonstration versions of the ManageSoft Security Manager integrated with Microsoft Network Access Protection will be available in Q2 2006.
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