Newest Forescout CounterACT Features PCI Compliance Kit
CounterACT Helps Enterprises Control Access to Cardholders’ Private Data and Achieve PCI DSS Compliance
Cupertino, Calif. – June 16, 2008 – Forescout Technologies, a market leader in clientless network access control (NAC) and policy management solutions for large enterprises, today announced the release of a Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance Kit to compliment the launch of CounterACT version 6.3. The kit contains 21 pre-defined policies and configurable reports that plug-in to CounterACT to address eight of the 12 requirements of the PCI Data Security Standard (DSS). Because CounterACT is deployed “out-of-band," the PCI policies can be implemented quickly without disruption to business.
The payment card industry established the PCI DSS for the protection of cardholder information in response to widely publicized security breaches. Enforced through compulsory IT audits today, the PCI DSS helps to ensure the security and protection of cardholders’ personal data. Companies governed by the PCI DSS, grappling with how to control access to this private data, have looked to Forescout for help.
According to T. Kent Elliott, Forescout CEO: “Forescout is committed to meeting the business requirements of our customers with an easy-to-deploy, easy-to-manage network access control platform. With this release we are addressing one of the major pain points facing enterprise network managers today: meeting PCI compliance requirements in a cost-effective and non-disruptive manner. With the introduction of CounterACT 6.3 featuring the PCI Compliance Kit, we have met this demand, further demonstrating Forescout’s NAC leadership and commitment to developing technology designed for the real world."
“Passing PCI compliance audits is a top concern facing network security professionals today," stated Lawrence Orans, research director at Gartner. “While there is no one solution that covers all 12 sections of the PCI data security standard, some NAC technologies and best practices can help simplify the process of achieving regulatory compliance."
Highlighted features in CounterACT 6.3 include:
- PCI Compliance Kit. The easy-to-use kit offers a simple wizard that guides users through a comprehensive PCI audit process and provides remediation options to help speed PCI compliance.
- Baselining for Compliance. A baseline can be established to trim time to compliance. The implementation is in a form of a “track changes" mechanism that provides the ability to create policies that detect endpoint changes during a specific session. Using this feature, users can detect impersonation attempts, maintain endpoint health, and assure server hardening.
- Peripheral Protection. Portable media, such as a USB mass storage device connecting from the endpoint, can now be detected and remediated.
- Localization. Reports and endpoint notifications are now available in local languages.
- Out-of-the-box Policies. New out-of-the-box policies embody the best practices of global customers and can be deployed within minutes.
- Increased Searchable Indexed Information. Google-like search launched from an Internet Explorer or Firefox browser provides the ability to quickly find connected / connecting network assets.
- Expanded Network / Application Integration. Plug-ins offered for 3Com, Alcatel, NEC and Enterasys switches, Cisco ASA, Microsoft WSUS and Windows CE, plus extended integration with anti-virus/spyware/adware and personal firewall vendors, speeds CounterACT deployment in all environments.
- Expanded Endpoint Interrogation. Provides full coverage of all user-based platforms without requiring any code reside on the endpoint (greatly simplifying deployment and ongoing management of user devices).
- Clientless Auto-Remediation of Microsoft Vulnerabilities and Anti-Virus, Instant Messaging and Peer-to-peer Applications.
About CounterACT
CounterACT is a security platform designed for the global enterprise that provides extensive network knowledge, complete network access control (NAC) and the ability to achieve regulatory compliance. Introduced in 2005, CounterACT was the first complete NAC offering to provide non-disruptive deployment, complete network visibility, flexible policy creation, broad enforcement and remediation capabilities, all without the need for a client or infrastructure changes. With numerous global deployments to date, CounterACT continues to meet the growing demands of the enterprise providing the access control required to fulfill and surpass corporate and regulatory compliance mandates.
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.