SOKA-BAU Selects Forescout to Control Mobile and Guest Device Network Access
Wiesbaden, Germany — 8 August 2012 —Forescout Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of automated security control solutions for Fortune 1000 enterprises and government organisations, today announced that SOKA-BAU, a German organisation providing benefits, compensation and pension insurance services to over 70,000 domestic and foreign construction companies, has selected Forescout’s automated security control platform to achieve full visibility and control of mobile and guest devices connecting to their corporate network.
SOKA-BAU’s search for a robust network security solution was prompted by its decision to allow notebooks, both corporate owned and authorised guest and contractors, to connect to the company network. Specifically, SOKA-BAU was looking for a reliable approach that would allow it to classify all devices attempting to access network resources against pre-defined security policies, but needed to integrate as seamlessly as possible with their existing Cisco network infrastructure. The IT team at SOKA-BAU evaluated a number of network access control (NAC) products before unanimously agreeing that Forescout CounterACT provided the best solution to meet its requirements.
“Unlike other NAC solutions, CounterACT didn’t require installation and management of 802.1x software, didn’t need to operate in-line and didn’t require so many components for the NAC to actually work,” explained Steffen Appel, Group Leader WAN Security at SOKA-BAU. “It provided great, integrated functionality without the high initial cost, deployment risks and overall effort that would have come with the other NAC solutions we evaluated.”
Since the initial installation, SOKA-BAU has gradually implemented CounterACT’s advanced features and has extended their security policies across additional sub networks. The company has also deployed additional CounterACT appliances to achieve a high-availability configuration and centralised management.
SOKA-BAU’s network includes around 4000 endpoints spread across its headquarters, seven branch offices and numerous home offices. The organisation is currently running and controlling several NAC specific VLANs, including a guest network, a network for software installations, and a quarantine network for infected devices. The implementation of a remediation network, as well as a sub network for consultants is planned in the near future.
John Hagerty, EMEA sales director at Forescout, commented, “Organisations are recognising our integrated, non-disruptive and extensible approach towards network access control and endpoint compliance over that of leading network infrastructure providers. The fact that we are easy to use, more manageable, and work with a customer’s existing infrastructure means that our customers can realise results and cost-savings that much faster and with more assurance.”
Forescout was recently recognised by Frost & Sullivan as the largest independent NAC vendor, and one that is growing the fastest among leaders in the NAC market.(1) The 2012 Market Analysis Report states that Forescout’s automated security control platform meets and exceeds Frost & Sullivan’s NAC deployment best practices. To obtain a complimentary copy of this report, visit www.forescout.com/frost2012.
About Forescout Technologies, Inc.
Forescout enables organisations to accelerate productivity and connectivity by allowing users to access corporate network resources where, how and when needed without compromising security. Forescout’s automated solutions for network access control (NAC), mobile security, endpoint compliance and threat prevention empower IT agility while preempting risks and eliminating remediation costs. Because the Forescout CounterACT platform is easy to deploy, unobtrusive, intelligent and scalable, it has been chosen by more than 1,300 of the world’s most secure enterprises and military installations for global deployments spanning 37 countries. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Forescout delivers its solutions through its network of authorised partners worldwide. Learn more at www.forescout.com.
(1) Frost & Sullivan, Analysis of the Network Access Control Market, Report NAD5-01, by Chris Rodriguez, March 2012. The full report is available at www.frost.com/nad5.
Forescout Technologies, Inc. is a privately held Delaware corporation. Forescout, the Forescout logo, CounterACT and ActiveResponse are trademarks of Forescout. Other names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.