Vernier's Inline NAC Appliance Has An Edge

In addition to checking all end points for malware and quarantining those that are infected, the Edgewall 8800 analyzes traffic and identifies behavior that violates access policies. The appliance can figure out which user is responsible for a violation and remediate the device that user used to access the network, said Rod Murchison, vice president of marketing at Vernier, Mountain View, Calif.

The Edgewall 8880 also tests end points after they connect to the network, which is important because hackers are finding ways to disguise infected devices as clean ones in order to defeat NAC security measures, he said. The IDP engine—which handles traffic at 4 Gbps—is designed to hone in on the data connection of the host after it accesses the network to account for this possibility, Murchison said.

"Although the end point could get through the initial audit, it may be completely compromised and [may be] faking it from the ground up," Murchison said.

Without post-connect NAC testing, an attacker could get on the network through a compromised device and then have free reign to hit other parts of the network, he added.

Dan Riekes, executive vice president at Affidia Systems, an Encino, Calif.-based solution provider, said integrated IDP and high-speed throughput set the Edgewall 8800 apart. "Everyone is concerned about speed when it comes to inline solutions, and with more companies adopting 10-Gigabit networks, the 8800 can fit into just about any network," he said.

Riekes said he is seeing double-digit margins from Edgewall 8800 sales as well as a "fair amount" of associated integration assistance and training services. The Edgewall 8800 starts at $29,990.