Security management application for the Mac

Bradford Networks has expanded its Campus Manager Security Management Application to include the Macintosh platform.

The Security Management Application is an Endpoint Compliance tool that helps ensure all devices connecting to a network meet minimum security policies. This application detects and isolates security risks within a network.

The new functionality verifies core operating system versions of Mac OS X. The application is non-persistent, meaning it is automatically downloaded, executed, and then removed upon successful completion and does not stay resident on the computer.

This multi-tiered security management application will help fight against the spread of viruses, malicious attacks, and security vulnerabilities at the source. The goal is to protect the network at the edge, from the time a user connects to the network.

The new Macintosh solution consists of a three-step process:

• Every Macintosh device is checked before being allowed to connect to the production network.
• Non-compliant ‘at risk’ devices are isolated in a Quarantine VLAN for remediation.
• Remediation provides ‘self-help’ to resolve issues without helpdesk intervention.

If the Macintosh device is successfully validated as meeting the security policy and does not pose a security concern, then it is allowed to connect to the appropriate VLAN according to the role of the user. If the device is ‘at risk’, then it is re-directed to a secure Quarantine area where the user must remediate any issues.

The remediation process is browser based and incorporates a self-help structure, ideally not requiring the involvement of technical support resources to resolve the issues.