Bradford Networks Network Sentry Cloud Service
Enterprise-class Network Access Control (NAC) solution via a cloud service

Overview:

Trusted security experts Bradford Networks, Windstream and DecisionOne have joined forces to offer an enterprise-class Network Access Control (NAC) solution via a cloud service.

In today’s computing environments, users are increasingly mobile and want to leverage their own technology for both business and personal use. This phenomenon, known as bring-your-own-device (BYOD), describes an environment where employees use their own laptops, smartphones or tablets to access corporate networks, applications and data. To ensure that critical corporate assets are protected when accessed using personal devices, network security needs to verify that every user and device is safe enough to join the network and does not introduce risk.

Available as a cloud service, Network Sentry™ is an industry-leading network access control solution that integrates with your existing network infrastructure to assess the risk of every user and device trying to gain access to your network.

Leveraging the secure infrastructure of Windstream, one of the nation’s premier providers of enterprise-class managed network and hosted services, and delivered by DecisionOne’s team of trusted IT professionals, this network security service ensures a secure configuration with customized deployment options to enable rapid time to value.

With no hardware on site yet easily integrated into your existing network environment, Network Sentry’s unique architecture leverages the inherent command and control of your network switches, routers, and access points to gain complete visibility and control over users and devices requesting access to your network. In addition, it seamlessly integrates with authentication technologies such as 802.1X, RADIUS and Active Directory to determine if a device is corporate issued or personally owned and if a user is trusted or a guest.

Through an easy-to-use web interface, Network Sentry provides powerful administrative tools for managing network and security operations. Its inherent flexibility lets IT organizations gracefully evolve their security projects from initial trials to pilot rollouts to full deployments, while ensuring effective security policy implementations with minimal impact on the end-users’ experience.

Key Benefits of Bradford Networks’ Network Sentry Cloud Service

• Full-featured NAC solution – delivers all the features of Bradford Networks’ patented Network Sentry solution including complete visibility and control over who and what is accessing wired/wireless networks
• No capital expense – no equipment or resources required on site
• Highly scalable – out of band architecture, hosted by Windstream’s secure, reliable enterprise-class infrastructure
• Secure communication – communication between the corporate networks and the cloud infrastructure is via a highly secure VPN connection. Perimeter firewalls, intrusion detection systems, network monitoring and Denial of Service (DoS) protection all ensure the highest degree of network defense
• Complete security – Network Sentry does not capture or store any data traversing a network, and no organizational data is stored in the cloud
• Rapid time to deployment – supported by DecisionOne experts who can deliver customized installations and tailored security policies
• Outstanding service – Windstream provides some of the strongest SLAs for uptime and service available in the industry. All Network Operations Centers and DecisionOne Support Centers are domestic and manned by trained technicians 24/7/365
• Multiple deployment options – to address specific environments, budgets, expertise and resources
• Supports customers’ existing environments – seamlessly integrates with customers’ existing network infrastructure
• Integrates with existing BYOD ecosystem technologies – seamlessly integrates with leading security, mobile management, and wired/wireless vendor solutions to provide complete and secure solutions for BYOD
• Supports compliance – an easy and cost-effective solution for compliance with PCI, HIPAA, SOX and other regulations

KEY BENEFITS

• Gain complete visibility and control over who and what is accessing your wired and wireless networks at all times
• Assess the risk of smartphones, tablets and all edge devices pre-connect
• Provision secure network access based on user and device policies
• Automate the onboarding process for large volumes of devices
• Integrate with leading security solutions to remediate BYOD threats

KEY FEATURES

• 100% network infrastructure visibility – routers, switches, access points, etc.
• 100% endpoint device visibility – tablets, smartphones, laptops, printers and any endpoint device
• Custom network access policies – role-based access
• Guest management – registration portal for onboarding guests
• Device identification and profiling – identify and classify any device type
• Endpoint compliance – assess the risk of every device prior to access
• Centralized management – manage numerous locations with a single installation

KEY USES

• Secure Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
• Network visibility/lockdown
• Endpoint security and/or access control
• Guest registration and management
• Risk management and security for new wireless infrastructure
• Regulatory compliance (PCI, HIPAA, SOX)

Documentation:

Download the Bradford Networks Network Sentry Cloud Service Datasheet (PDF).