* Sophos to integrate desktop security with NAC technology from Endforce
Sophos says it is integrating its desktop security software with the NAC technology it acquired when it bought Endforce in January.
That means customers will be able to buy a bundle called Sophos Endpoint Security that includes antivirus software, a personal firewall, a management console and NAC.
The company is already selling Endforce’s NAC software under the name Sophos NAC and will continue to do so. That platform scans endpoints for operating system patches; antivirus and personal firewall software; and the presence of spyware, instant messaging and peer-to-peer programs. Based on the results of the scan, the software can block computers’ access to networks.
Later this year, Sophos plans to release a new version of its Sophos Endpoint Security suite that will include Sophos NAC software, but the NAC part won’t be integrated. So the NAC functionality will require a separate software agent on each computer and a separate management console.
In about a year, the company says it intends to have Sophos Endpoint Security integrated with Sophos NAC so it requires a single agent and a single management console.
This gives customers an option to install NAC capabilities on their networks without major overhauls to their infrastructure. Software on endpoints and a management console are add-ons.
This is a good alternative for now, when business customers might not be prepared to undertake wholesale network upgrades. Ultimately, as they phase in NAC-supporting network hardware, they might want to migrate to network-based enforcement of NAC.
Even then, the Sophos software and other software-based NAC products can supplement the hardware versions.
