Hirsch Demonstrates Industry's First Standards-Based Network / Physical Access Control Enforcement Solution

Hirsch Electronics, a leading supplier of physical security management solutions, has teamed with IT industry leaders Juniper Networks and Infoblox to tie physical and network security together, increasing protection for both environments. As a result, customers can improve security and enhance compliance efforts by establishing physical presence as a policy for gaining access to various network resources.

The solution was implemented by the three companies using the open Trusted Network Connect architecture and IF-MAP open-standard protocol for metadata exchange endorsed by more than 100 companies that comprise the Trusted Computing Group (TCG). For Hirsch’s part in this industry first, the award-winning Hirsch Velocity™ Security Management System sent IF-MAP based physical event messages (metadata) to the Infoblox appliance, which in turn notified the Juniper network appliance that enforced Network Access Control (NAC) policies.

NAC, widely embraced by the IT and networking industry, enforces a variety of network security policy checks. For instance, a NAC enabled network can prevent a computer from accessing other resources until the computer is confirmed to have an adequate level of anti-virus protection. NAC enabled routers, switches, and firewalls can grant or deny a given user wired or WI-FI network access to the Internet or access to other network resources such as datacenter servers, IP phones, and more. This new capability takes NAC one step further by allowing a person's physical presence to be used as a pre- and post-network admission policy.

A demonstration of this new linkage between physical and network security was showcased in the Trusted Computing Group's Interop Las Vegas booth in May. The demonstration garnered enthusiastic responses from end-users, integrators and industry analysts alike.

"This convergence concept has been discussed for some time but has been slow to actually gain market traction," noted Andrew Braunberg, research director, enterprise security and networks, for Current Analysis. "It is encouraging to see an ecosystem of companies coalescing around a set of open specifications that allow them to enable this convergence while also supporting best of breed functionality."

"This is an excellent proof-point for how extensible the Trusted Network Connect architecture and TCG's specifications are," commented Stephen Hanna, co-chair of TCG's Trusted Network Connect Work Group and Juniper Networks distinguished engineer. "Through TCG's IF-MAP protocol, physical security events can now trigger network security enforcement policies and vice-versa. Hirsch's support and innovative collaboration with other TCG members Juniper and Infoblox has demonstrated that TNC can be deployed to make security pervasive in any organization."

At Interop, the Hirsch Velocity system received access requests to enter a building as well as secure building locations, such as a development lab or datacenter, using both contactless smartcards and personal identification number (PIN) credentials. Access grant and denial messages were sent in real-time to Infoblox's 1550 Network Services Appliance, which acted as a clearinghouse for events and device status. The Infoblox server automatically sent notification of changes to the Juniper Networks IC Series Unified Access Control Appliance, which enabled or disabled the credential holder's network access per pre-established policies.

Within many business and other environments, a wide range of policy-based network actions could be implemented. For instance, the policies could dictate where, when and how authorized users can access network resources or make use of virtual private networks (VPN). Similarly, Hirsch's Velocity could receive network event messages from IF-MAP-enabled devices to implement a new level of situational awareness and enforce new physical security policies, including locking down a building due to an internal network breach.

Stuart Bailey, chief technology officer for Infoblox and IF-MAP specification co-editor, observed, "The demo was very compelling; many of the Interop attendees who viewed it expressed interest in deploying this type of multi-dimensional security that can link network access policy to physical presence and vice-versa. This gives us further confidence that MAP solves real-world problems and opens up exciting applications. We're excited to be working with TCG and with leaders like Hirsch and Juniper to bring about a new era of open, interoperable systems."

"With this multi-vendor effort, we are on the cusp of delivering a comprehensive security solution with policy enforcement from building entrance to the computer and phone to the 'cloud,'" noted Bob Beliles, vice president of enterprise business development for Hirsch Electronics. "At a minimum, by requiring employees to badge-in prior to gaining network access, organizations should see a significant reduction in 'tailgating.'" This is the situation where one employee or an unauthorized person bypasses the access control system and audit logs by following an authorized employee through a door without each person presenting his card or code to the entry reader. "Moreover, the same Hirsch credential, with its secure digital identity, could not only be used to enter a building, it could also be used to log-on to a PC and used again for authenticating network access requests. As a result, organizations should be able to more easily account for who is inside their buildings and better comply with various government and industry regulations."

About Hirsch Electronics

Hirsch manufactures security systems for worldwide markets. Hirsch's solutions integrate access control, video, intrusion detection, identity management, smart cards and biometrics. Hirsch is part of SCM Microsystems, a world leader in smart card-based technology. Together, SCM and Hirsch offer converged physical and logical security solutions to safeguard facilities, computers and commerce. For more information, visit www.HirschElectronics.com (NASDAQ: SCMM, Prime Standard: SMY)

About Infoblox

Infoblox delivers highly reliable and manageable platforms for core network services like domain name resolution (DNS), IP address assignment (DHCP), IP address management (IPAM) and more. Infoblox solutions – essential for the move from static networks to dynamic infrastructure and applications – are used by over 3,500 organizations worldwide, including over 100 of the Fortune 500. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., and operates in more than 30 countries. For more information visit www.infoblox.com

About Trusted Computing Group (TCG)

The Trusted Computing Group is a not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define, and promote open standards for hardware-enabled trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG specifications will enable more secure computing environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The primary goal is to help users protect their information assets from compromise due to external software attack and physical theft. More information and the organization's specifications are available at the Trusted Computing Group's website, www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.

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