Extreme, AirTight partner on security

Extreme Networks this week forged a partnership with AirTight Networks to help secure Extreme’s wired and wireless LAN equipment.

Extreme will use AirTight’s SpectraGuard Enterprise software for intrusion prevention and performance management, specifically targeted at wireless threats. The software helps protect against rogue access points and unauthorized use of your wireless networks.

Extreme was careful to point out that the AirTight software would complement its Summit switches’ own authentication, encryption and policy-based management features. AirTight brings to the table real-time visualization of the wireless environment, wireless troubleshooting tools, a performance management dashboard and location identification of wireless clients and asset tags.

The companies said SpectraGuard allows users to define different security policies for different virtual LANs or physical locations. For instance, users could have zones that don’t have wireless, have open wireless access, or have corporate-sanctioned wireless access.

The news continues the trend of bringing security functions and LAN hardware together. If the LAN hardware companies can’t build the functionality themselves, they will partner to get it. WLANs of course have been a particular sore spot for users who are concerned about security.

This week’s RSA Conference 2006 is bringing out security news from many different vendors. Cisco, for example, is rolling out a security management platform that lets users define policies via a graphic interface, then distribute them to network devices that will enforce them. For the full details, see Network World’s story.

Network World also has a preview of the events at RSA and complete coverage this week.