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Bradford Networks Bundles Security Appliances and Software

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 11/13/09

Bradford Networks has bundled its appliances and software into an offering it calls Network Sentry, which allows customers to pick and choose which forms of security it wants to implement. The suite consists of Network Sentry Foundation appliances and software-based Solutions and Extensions.

The Network Sentry Foundation appliances do the heavy lifting for managing network security and policy management. A management console lets the administrator define polices, establish event criteria, schedule tasks, and set up automated actions. Grouping allows network devices, ports, users, endpoint devices, and administrators to be bunched for easier management and for role-based assignment. Control features include the ability to locate, enable, and disable devices by MAC address, IP address, location, and time. A Connection Log provides historical connection information to monitor and track activities within the system. The console also has reporting features.

The company has updated the management features in this part of Network Sentry. Version 4.1 includes a new administrative dashboard, configuration wizards, guided task functions, and other improvements.

On the software side, "Solutions" are feature sets that are licensed on a per-user or per-device basis to address specific needs. Available solutions include: access management; guest management; shared access tracking for users of shared workstations; and device tracking, which locks down the network to allow known networked devices.

Extensions are additional feature sets that are enabled with a one-time activation key. These include endpoint compliance, which detects vulnerability and enables actions to quarantine and self-remediate; device profiling, which classifies devices and allows the administrator to delegate device provisioning to non-IT staff; and an integration suite, which provides for integration with third-party security products.

"As one of Bradford's early customers, we initially purchased their solution for one purpose: controlling network access," said Bob Velez, network administrator at Swarthmore College. "Since then, our needs have changed dramatically as our users have changed and our network has become more complex. This new platform strategy and the new features in Network Sentry 4.1 demonstrate Bradford Network's ability to grow with us, to anticipate what we as customers need, and continually help keep us prepared for the broad range of security issues we might face in the future. Bradford Networks remains a cornerstone of our overall network security strategy."