AEP Brings NAC to Small Offices

SOMERSET, N.J. -- AEP Networks, the leader in policy-based networking is introducing a branch and small office version of its NACpoint network admission control (NAC) appliance.

AEP NACpoint Small Office is a security appliance that thoroughly controls who and what gets access to networked resources. Admission control is based on the identity of users and machines. It also assists in keeping malicious threats from entering the enterprise at the Internet and WAN boundaries, as well as at local points of connection.

The new product is a fully featured standalone version of the full AEP NACpoint solution. It is designed to support a maximum of 50 managed ports and is intended to be a cost effective solution for a smaller installation or a branch office.

NACpoint Small Office protects networked resources against attack from unknown users and devices by authenticating users requesting LAN access, performing a node posture validation scan of clients. It places offending clients into quarantine and enables remediation.

The appliance is ideal for securing wireless access, wired guest/conference room access, and shared workspaces. It includes features such as:

"In many cases, VPN connections from a branch office to the main headquarters do not provide the required individual end-user separation to enforce NAC policy to a specific user or machine. In such cases, NACpoint Small Office appliances at each office can provide an effective solution," explains Howard Pressman, Director of Product Management for AEP Networks. "The Small Office appliance is also suitable for smaller organizations that need full NAC functionality, but do not require systems that have higher user capacity and higher cost."

Each NACpoint Small Office appliance can be managed independently via a built-in Web interface within the unit. This allows user organizations to customize policy rules, network architecture and remediation to each location.

AEP Networks Inc.