Microsoft and Trusted Computing Group announce interoperability
Trusted Computing Group, which develops open standards for computing security, and Microsoft Corp., a TCG member and active participant, today announced they will provide customers and partners interoperability of TCG’s Trusted Network Connect architecture and Microsoft Network Access Protection for network access control. This interoperability means customers can use NAP products in TNC-protected networks and TNC products in NAP-protected networks. NAP partners can support TNC clients and servers, and TNC implementers can support NAP clients, servers and protocols.
The first step in the interoperability of NAP and TNC will be enabled by Microsoft’s contribution of its Statement of Health protocol to the Trusted Computing Group. A new specification, the IF-TNCCS-SOH, is being released today as part of the TNC architecture. Vendors can begin implementing the IF-TNCCS-SOH specification immediately.
With this interoperability, customers of both Microsoft and TNC-enabled networks can realize significant benefits:
Interoperability and customer choice: Customers are now provided with a choice of architectural and product options. They will be able to choose components, infrastructure and technology as best serves their business needs while being assured of interoperability.
Simplification, clarity, and confidence: The interoperability of NAP and TNC provides helpful guidance for customers considering network access control architectures and products and offers assurance that a wide variety of products will work together.
Investment protection: The interoperability of TNC and NAP platforms enables customer reuse and investment protection of their TNC and/or NAP deployments. For example, customers can begin deploying products based on TNC specifications today and integrate NAP into the environment concurrent with their deployment of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
Single agent included in Windows: Computers running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and future versions of Windows XP will include the NAP Agent component as part of the core operating system. The NAP Agent will be used for both NAP and TNC.