Vernier Tools Live On The Edge

The appliances--each geared for customers of different sizes--sit at the network edge and screen devices and users, restrict network access, inspect traffic and enforce remediation policies without disrupting network performance.

Bethany Mayer, vice president of marketing at the Mountain View, Calif.-based company, said the products also feature high-availability functionality, as well as vulnerability scanning--a first for Vernier products.

"With this [set of products], we're helping resellers offer foolproof solutions for customers who want to make sure users are who they say they are," she said.

The products authenticate end users and scan their devices for vulnerabilities upon admission to the network, Mayer said.

Based on the results of the screening process, the EdgeWall products restrict access to network resources via granular access control. The appliances inspect network traffic for worms, viruses or unusual behavior using packet inspection and behavioral analysis. Finally, they enforce remediation policies if users abuse network usage rights.

"The key to Vernier [products] is granular flexibility," said Dan Riekes, executive vice president at Affidia Systems, Encino, Calif. "They allow a client to choose to do either a lot of very detailed things or to not."

The new appliances are managed centrally using Vernier's Control Server, which dynamically generates security policies based on a user's identity, location, patch levels and vulnerabilities. This server also controls the Vernier Access Manager, which inspects traffic, but does not scan end points for vulnerabilities.

The EdgeWall line is expected to be available by Feb. 14. Pricing starts at $9,000, including a one-year subscription fee to Vernier Threat Labs. After that, subscriptions begin at $1,000 per EdgeWall.