Haworth Extends Security Initiative with Forescout’s CounterACT for Network Access Control
CounterACT Deploys Worldwide, Enables Centralized Policy Management in Days vs. Weeks
Cupertino, Calif. – September 30, 2008 – Forescout Technologies, a leading provider of clientless network access control (NAC) and policy management solutions for the global enterprise, today announced that Haworth, a leader in the design and manufacture of office furniture and adaptable workspaces, has deployed the CounterACT family of NAC appliances as part of its global security initiative.
According to Ann Harten, vice president of Global Information Services at Haworth: “Our global IT presence is comprised of a central security hub in our US headquarters that manages IT locations in China, India, Canada/Quebec and throughout Europe. We knew the right NAC solution would further our ability to pinpoint and treat real network access threats in realtime on an as-needed/ per-case basis, reducing management overhead. After evaluating several NAC solutions, we chose CounterACT: it offered the levels of control we needed and integrated quickly and seamlessly with our existing heterogeneous network. We deployed the CounterACT appliances worldwide and began to perform centralized policy management in days, not weeks."
CounterACT combines clientless network access control (NAC) and signatureless intrusion prevention to ensure all connected and connecting devices are in compliance with network security policies and are free of self-propagating threats. CounterACT seamlessly integrates into any network environment without requiring costly upgrades or infrastructure changes, and enables enterprises to tailor enforcement actions to match the level of policy violations, ensuring user disruption only occurs when it is warranted or required by the IT staff.
In addition to traditional security issues, today’s enterprises like Haworth face a steady influx of vulnerabilities introduced by contractors, guests and mobile/home employees who are able to bypass physical security and gain network connection inside the perimeter defenses. CounterACT addresses this problem by enforcing network security policies across all managed and unmanaged network devices, including desktops and laptops as well as non-OS devices such as VoIP phones, handhelds and network printers, without the need for a software agent of any kind.
“With CounterACT, policy compliance management is greatly simplified. CounterACT offers global enterprises like Haworth the policy writing tools needed to speed centralized enforcement and remediation at the group, user or device level, and in the localized languages," said Gord Boyce, president of Forescout. “Using CounterACT’s policy management tools, IT personnel can detect threats worldwide in realtime then draft and push highly granular policies, tailoring enforcements to match the level of violations so that they protect user productivity but minimize user disruption."
About Forescout Technologies, Inc.
Forescout is the leading provider of access control and compliance solutions. With top-tier customers from every vertical, Forescout has perfected the art of providing strong access control without disrupting network operations or needlessly punishing end users. Forescout’s flagship product, CounterACT, protects over 500 of the world’s most secure enterprises and military installations with global deployments spanning 37 countries. The CounterACT family of products provides a path to complete security policy enforcement and is fast and easy for administrators to deploy, manage and maintain. For more about the company and its products, visit www.forescout.com.