Juniper Networks to Support Trusted Network Connect Open Standards for Unified Access Control

Business Wire, May 1, 2006

LAS VEGAS -- Continues Leadership and Innovation in Access Control Market by Helping Develop TNC Specifications and Delivering Interoperable Security Technologies

Juniper Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:JNPR) today announced that its Unified Access Control (UAC) solution will support the Trusted Network Connect open standards, a set of non-proprietary specifications that enables the application and enforcement of security requirements for endpoints connecting to a network. This will enable enterprises to leverage Juniper Networks' best-in-class access control technologies with existing hardware and software to cost-effectively increase security and control over the network and endpoints.

TNC is a subgroup of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG), an industry standards body formed to develop, define, and promote open standards for trusted computing and security technologies. The TNC specifications are designed to help network administrators solve the difficult task of enforcing security policies for network access in increasingly diverse network environments with heterogeneous devices and software from many vendors. The TNC specifications and supported technologies, such as Juniper Networks' Unified Access Control solution, will empower customers with the strongest security technologies to audit endpoint configurations and impose enterprise security policies before network connectivity is established. By supporting the TNC specifications, customers benefit by having a greater choice of trusted tools to deploy best-in-class technologies and comprehensively protect against network threats such as viruses, worms, and denial-of-service attacks.

"Juniper Networks has been actively involved in the Trusted Network Connect subgroup, and continues to be invaluable in helping create interoperable mechanisms to prevent untrusted devices from connecting to and disrupting a corporate network," said Paul Sangster, co-chair of the Trusted Network Connect subgroup and distinguished engineer for Symantec Corporation. "The support of Juniper Networks and its contributions have been critical in developing the TNC specifications, enabling access control interoperability with robust visibility, policy control and security across the network."

Juniper Networks Passes Independent Interoperability Testing

Interoperability of security technologies is an essential component of the TNC specifications and critical in providing the IT community with choices for deploying the best in access control technologies. Juniper Networks has successfully demonstrated its interoperability with other vendor technologies in a recent independent test conducted by the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL). Juniper Networks participated in a two-day event that tested hardware and software supporting the TNC specifications in a simulated network environment. The result of the testing proved that the Juniper Networks Unified Access Control solution could seamlessly interoperate with other hardware and software components using TNC specifications.

"We are excited to see the TNC specifications gaining traction and achieving the goal of multi-vendor interoperability," said Hitesh Sheth, vice president of security products for Juniper Networks. "Juniper Networks continues to demonstrate its commitment to open standards and providing customers with the best technology to help customers solve their access control challenges. With Juniper's Unified Access Control solution, customers win by getting best-in-class security and the flexibility to interoperate with their existing infrastructure."

Juniper Networks Unified Access Control

The Juniper Networks Unified Access Control solution, which includes the Infranet Controller appliances and is based on the Enterprise Infranet framework, uses a combination of identity-based policy and endpoint intelligence to give enterprises real-time visibility and policy control throughout the network. As a result, enterprises can control access, prevent threats, ensure compliance, and deliver secure and assured network services. Juniper's UAC solution offers endpoint and identity-based controls, and supports both client-host and network-based enforcement of dynamically configured firewall and IPSec policies.

The Infranet Controller appliance makes role-based policy decisions as well as seamlessly provisions the Infranet Agent, a software agent that assesses the endpoint's compliance state both before and during the session, and enforces policy on the client host. These policy decisions are enforced on the entire family of the Juniper Networks firewall/VPN appliances, designed to communicate with the Infranet Controller and perform computationally intensive security functions without compromising throughput. The firewall/VPN appliances act as enforcement points for policy decisions that are based on user identity attributes and the endpoint assessment.

About Trusted Computing Group

The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is a not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define, and promote open standards for hardware-enabled trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG specifications will enable more secure computing environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The primary goal is to help users protect their information assets (data, passwords, keys, etc.) from compromise due to external software attack and physical theft. More information and the organization's specifications are available at the Trusted Computing Group's website, www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.