Promisec Brings Agentless NAC To The Enterprise
Promisec, an Israel-based startup with offices in New York, last week rolled out an enterprise version of its flagship Spectator Professional software, which enables companies to test thousands of network PCs and servers for compliance with security policies without the hassle of installing agent software on each system.
Promisec differs from agent-based solutions in the endpoint security space—also known as network access control—by providing broader coverage against threats without slowing down the network, said Hilik Kotler, vice president of business development and co-founder of Promisec. Spectator takes a snapshot of a "healthy" PC—one with up-to-date patches and only approved applications—and scans all the other machines on the network to ensure that users haven't disabled antivirus software, installed unauthorized applications or taken any other action that could leave the network vulnerable, Kotler said.
After the scan is complete and noncompliant machines are identified, Spectator measures the level of risk and performs remediation, he added.
Spectator is an agentless solution, so it can scan thousands of machines without affecting network performance, making it suitable for use in enterprise networks, Kotler said. "The scanning is fast and doesn't impact the network or the PC that is doing the inspection," he said.
Kevin Haley, CEO at Netanium Network Security, a solution provider in North Chelmsford, Mass., said the agentless approach is exactly what enterprises are looking for when considering endpoint security solutions. "This means they don't have to hit every machine [with software], which would be a nightmare," Haley said.
In addition to detecting machines infected with malware, Spectator also can determine if a user is configured to surf through a certain proxy when accessing the network. It also can determine if employees are using non-work-related applications such as P2P or unauthorized removable storage devices, Kotler said.
Spectator Professional for Enterprises is available now, but Promisec did not disclose pricing information.