SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Network Associates, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the leading provider of intrusion prevention solutions, today announced its support for the Cisco(R) Network Admission Control program, which is focused on limiting the damage from emerging security threats. Through the collaboration, Network Associates(R) has licensed a key component of this program, the Cisco(R) Trust Agent, a software agent that resides on an end node system and communicates with the Cisco network. Network Associates will integrate the Cisco Trust Agent with McAfee(R) Security technology to help ensure that all McAfee users have the most up to date anti-virus protection on their servers, and PCs providing enhanced protection against vulnerabilities and the transfer of malicious threats, such as viruses, worms and Trojans.
"The Cisco Network Admission Control program has been developed to deliver complementary technologies that will work together to deliver the most advanced protection available for enterprise environments," said Charles H. Giancarlo, senior-vice president and general manager of product development at Cisco Systems. "Network Associates proven McAfee technology will offer our mutual customers the ability to enforce end node systems compliance with company policy before they connect to the network."
"The rapidly evolving nature of security threats coupled with the increasing vulnerabilities of corporate IT systems has resulted in customers looking for security solutions that not only detect attacks but actively block them before they reach the network," said Chris Christiansen, program vice president of infrastructure for IDC. "The Cisco Network Admission Control program fits perfectly with Network Associates strategy to deliver proactive technology that can protect against the exploitation of vulnerabilities rather than simply detecting them-an approach that can help to avoid both attack recovery and operational costs."
The collaboration with Cisco builds upon Network Associates McAfee Trusted Connection Strategy, a comprehensive strategy for validating that systems connecting to the network, from both internal and external access points, are brought to compliance before they are allowed to connect. As part of this strategy, Network Associates is working with leading VPN, remote access and networking vendors, such as Cisco, to help ensure that systems connecting to the network are brought to a satisfactory level of compliance, or remediation, before they can gain access to the corporate network. IT administrators using McAfee Security solutions in combination with Cisco technology can now help ensure that network access is only permitted to compliant and trusted end point systems, so that their systems have the most up-to-date protection available.
"Network Associates is working with major players in the industry, such as Cisco, to make sure that users connecting to an enterprise network don't act as a springboard for attacks," said George Samenuk, chairman and chief executive officer of Network Associates. "McAfee Security solutions will work seamlessly with the Cisco Trust Agent to help ensure that McAfee users have up-to-date security software before they get on the network."
The Cisco Trust Agent collects security state information from multiple security software clients, such as anti-virus clients, and communicates this information to the connected Cisco network where access control decisions are enforced. Initially, the Cisco Network Admission Control program will support endpoints running Microsoft(R) Windows NT, XP and 2000 operating systems.
Live Webcast
To learn more about the Cisco NAC Program, join George Samenuk, chairman and CEO of Network Associates, John Chambers, president and CEO of Cisco and Charles Giancarlo, senior vice president of Cisco for a live Webcast to discuss the industry collaboration. The Webcast will be held Tuesday, November 18 at 10:30 a.m. PST; 1:30 p.m. EST. Please register by going to: http://www.corporateir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=28103&script=1010&item_i d=808249 An audio only option will be available by dialing 1-888-810-9160. International callers can dial 210-234-0050. The passcode is NAC.
Availability
Network Associates will integrate the Cisco Trust Agent with McAfee VirusScan Enterprise with scheduled release in the first half of 2004. For more information on availability, please visit www.mcafeesecurity.com or call 888-VIRUS-NO.
About McAfee Anti-Virus Technology
McAfee anti-virus security products are a part of Network Associates McAfee Systems Protection Solutions family of products, and protect from security breaches, virus attacks and blended threats by providing comprehensive intrusion prevention and network protection. In addition to industry leading anti-virus, encryption, desktop firewall, intrusion detection, viral vulnerability assessment and online managed services, all McAfee security products are backed by the a world-leading anti-virus research organization, McAfee AVERT(TM) (Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team). McAfee AVERT is the team responsible for providing cures for major outbreaks like Lovsan, Slammer, LoveLetter, CodeRed and Nimda. For more information, McAfee experts can be reached at 888-VIRUS-NO, and on the Internet at http://www.mcafeesecurity.com
With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, Network Associates, Inc. creates best-of-breed computer security solutions that prevent intrusions on networks and protect computer systems from the next generation of blended attacks and threats. Offering two families of products, McAfee System Protection Solutions, securing desktops and servers, and McAfee Network Protection Solutions, ensuring the protection and performance of the corporate network, Network Associates offers computer security to large enterprises, governments, small and medium sized businesses, and consumers. These two product portfolios incorporate Network Associates leading McAfee Security, Sniffer(R) Technologies and Magic Solutions(R) product lines. For more information, Network Associates can be reached at 972-963-8000 or on the Internet at http://www.networkassociates.com/ .
NOTE: Network Associates, McAfee, AVERT, Sniffer, and Magic Solutions are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Network Associates, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other registered and unregistered trademarks herein are the sole property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Network Associates, Inc.
CONTACT: Tracy Ross of Network Associates, Inc., +1-408-346-5965, or Tracy_Ross@nai.com; or Kimberly Weber of Porter Novelli, +1-415-975-3332, or kimberly.weber@porternovelli.com, for Network Associates, Inc.
