Cisco Simplifies NAC for Enterprises by Easing Management of Network Access for Clients, Partners, and Other Non-Employee Visitors

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - November 13, 2007) - In an effort to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of enterprise information technology (IT) security, Cisco® (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced the availability of the new Network Admission Control (NAC) Guest Server, adding the Secure Guest service to several existing Cisco NAC services that include roles-based posture assessment and profiling. The new Secure Guest service enables any organization to simplify the process of managing guest network access without overburdening information technology (IT) teams with the administrative overhead commonly associated with supporting corporate visitors.

The new Cisco NAC Guest Server and its Secure Guest service is appropriate for enterprise organizations of all sizes, and is ideally suited for businesses that accommodate visitors, such as customers, suppliers or partners, on a frequent basis. This latest addition further expands Cisco's NAC solution, enhancing a company's ability to protect its organization's assets, employees and information from guests and their devices while granting secure, flexible network access to those same visitors. The Cisco NAC Guest Server, which can operate with the Cisco NAC Appliance or the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller, allows authorized employees to provision guest accounts and grant access in a simple, secure manner. In doing so, it offloads substantial administrative pressure from IT.

According to Andrew Stephenson, IT architect for Numis Securities, such flexibility is extremely beneficial for financial institutions. Based in London, Numis Securities offers financial management services in the United Kingdom and United States and accommodates numerous customers every business day.

"Impacting the customer experience in a positive way while protecting the business as a whole is our key mission," Stephenson said. "Because of the sensitivity associated with protecting information and the assets of our customers, employees, and business overall, our addition of the Cisco NAC Guest Server evolves the strength of our Cisco NAC solution because it enables us to manage security more efficiently with customer service remaining top-of-mind. The NAC Guest Server helps our department from being a bottleneck and facilitates a seamless, highly secure experience for our clients and employees."

In addition to enabling authorized employees to sponsor guests, the Cisco NAC Guest Server records the entire process, including a detailed history of guests accessing the corporate network. The server stores this information and can deliver reports to further enhance security management on an ongoing basis and for audits. Because the server operates in conjunction with the Cisco NAC Appliance and Cisco wireless local-area networks, providing mobile guest access within dynamic office environments can be woven seamlessly into IT's broader network security infrastructure.

"The benefits of simplifying guest access while incorporating it into the larger scope of IT security operations is significant," said Mick Scully, vice president of product management for Cisco's Security Technology Group. "The Cisco NAC Guest Server enhances IT's ability to deliver guest connectivity and enable collaboration with employees, improving productivity and security for both parties in the process. Offloading the administrative tasks of granting guest access to authorized employees allows IT to focus on other strategic efforts. With an integrated network security infrastructure, achieving those goals becomes easier."

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