AirTight Boosts Security for Enterprise Wireless Networks

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire -) -AirTight Networks, the leading provider of wireless intrusion prevention solutions (WIPS), has extended its technology leadership announcing SpectraGuard Enterprise 5.5, which sets a new standard for WIPS functionality. Using SpectraGuard, companies can now reduce costs by leveraging their existing Cisco WLAN infrastructure, managing distributed deployments through location based policy administration and countering new threats as they arise, especially from pre and draft 802.11n rogues.

AirTight is leading the way in enabling enterprise class wireless security via tight integration with Cisco WLAN Controller. SpectraGuard 5.5 lowers deployment and operational costs by leveraging customers' Cisco WLAN environment to automatically synchronize device inventory, automatically detect and classify managed devices and by leveraging the background scanning of Cisco APs. By using Cisco APs as RF data sources, AirTight can reduce sensor density by up to 30% while providing higher accuracy live RF views of the Cisco WLAN infrastructure.

SpectraGuard Enterprise 5.5 simplifies the security and administration of a distributed WLAN deployment by using location based policy management. Regional administration enables delegation of management to a local administrator while localized policy definition supports different policies for each location. SpectraGuard allows administrators to create a set of granular, customizable policies localized on a site by site, region by region or even floor by floor basis and have control over those policies. SpectraGuard Enterprise 5.5 is the first WIPS product built from the ground up to support managed services for a large geographically distributed installation.

"Organizations need enhanced security while minimizing the cost and administrative burden associated with a comprehensive wireless security policy. We can fairly easily manage a large remote installed base for 90 percent of the policy that is the same for all locations, but I spend 90 percent of my time managing the 10 percent which are exceptions," said Chris Roberts, manager, network and security operations for Adesa, Inc. "If I can have the regional managers helping with that my total cost of ownership automatically goes down, it spreads the workload and lets them be accountable for their areas. This lessens my burden and creates a much more efficient process."

Other significant enhancements to SpectraGuard Enterprise in this release are:

  • enhanced threat detection and remediation to protect organizations against .11n rogues and active attacks including DoS and WEP cracking

     

  • industry's first MSP ready WIPS which enables MSP providers to launch wireless security services servicing multiple customers using a centralized infrastructure

     

  • WEPGuard - the industry's first and only proactive wireless intrusion prevention system to block and locate active WEP cracking attacks, detect and stop intruders using spoofed identity and compromised WEP keys. These new capabilities help retailers to meet the most recent version of PCI DSS—version 1.1—which added specific security requirements to protect networks and payment card data from wireless threats and risks.

"Security continues to be the number one concern for WLAN deployments. However, distributed WLAN deployments are difficult to administer," said Pravin Bhagwat, CTO for AirTight Networks. "Localized policy administration is an enormous benefit for administrators who need to have insight both into the global security picture as well as individual areas in order to trouble shoot problems with local personnel. The benefit extends not only to the enterprise but also to MSPs who need to manage multiple customers with a single enterprise server but isolate the deployments and policy for each customer with an individualized policy."

"Security is unlike any other element of IT because, when it comes to any aspect of security, you're never done," said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group (Ashland, MA). "We live in a world where sensitive corporate information is coveted by professional information thieves. Automating policy enforcement and the process of intrusion detection and prevention is therefore essential, and ultimately pays for itself -- perhaps many times over."

Availability and Pricing
SpectraGuard Enterprise 5.5 is available now. Existing customers with a valid support contract or under warranty will receive the upgrade at no charge. For new customers, a Starter Kit, which includes a SpectraGuard Enterprise 5.5 server and two sensors, is priced starting at $9,995.

An upgrade license priced at $4,995 is required for SpectraGuard Enterprise server to enable location based policy management features. AirTight is offering a special sales promotion for this upgrade license—50% off for existing and new customers to enable location based policy management features until the end of the year (December 31, 2007).

For more information, visit AirTight's SpectraGuard Enterprise Web site or contact [email protected].

About AirTight Networks
Founded in 2002, AirTight Networks is the leader in wireless intrusion prevention solutions (WIPS). AirTight's award-winning SpectraGuard family of WIPS products and services delivers around-the-clock wireless policy enforcement and automatic intrusion prevention against wireless security threats while monitoring wireless LAN performance to ensure maximum network uptime and capacity. The AirTight SpectraGuard solution family has achieved industry leadership based on patented technology that eliminates false alarms, blocks wireless threats immediately and automatically, and locates wireless devices and events with pinpoint precision. AirTight Networks is a privately held company based in Mountain View, CA.

AirTight Networks, and the AirTight Networks logo are trademarks; and AirTight and SpectraGuard are registered trademarks of AirTight Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.