Remote access creates continuous market demand for virtual private network (VPN) products and services, with legacy IPSec VPNs still the most widely used form.
However, the most interesting and visible market innovations continue to centre on using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPNs as replacements or augmentations for legacy IPSec VPNs. SSL VPNs have been ahead of the typical IPSec VPNs in terms of ease of implementation; policy and network access controls; and the ability to deliver security protection on demand.
With an SSL VPN, the connection between the mobile user and the internal resource happens via a Web connection at the application layer, as opposed to IPSec VPNs open 'tunnel' at the network layer.
The use of SSL is ideal for remote access because an SSL VPN does not require client software to be preinstalled and maintained on the device being used to access corporate resources. Additionally, an SSL VPN does not need to be configured on the endpoint machine by a user or administrator. A SSL VPN is available from any standard Web browser, so users don't need a company laptop. Lastly, the SSL VPN provides detailed auditing capabilities because of its application-layer proxy-based technology, aiding enterprises and service providers in complying with regulatory measures.
According to Gartner, Juniper's Secure Access portfolio has been positioned in the leaders quadrant for the following reasons:
* Year after year, Juniper's products earn a high satisfaction rating and few complaints, given its high degree of market penetration.
* The company appears on most shortlists discussed in Gartner client inquiries.
* Juniper is the number one competitive threat cited by all other peer vendors. In the Gartner report, all the other 11 ranked vendors named Juniper as a threat.
* Juniper Networks delivers solid multiyear performance with strong sales and revenue in SSL VPNs and in IPsec VPNs. In general, Juniper is able to sell more products at higher incremental revenue than any other company in the market.
Though technically speaking, the reasons for Juniper's Secure Access portfolio leading the market would be a direct result of their product features, such as:
* Host Checker, which verifies/ensures that the endpoint device meets corporate security policy requirements before granting access, remediating devices and quarantining users when necessary.
* Policy Based Enforcement, which enables access to extranet endpoint devices, like PCs from partners that may run different security clients than that of the enterprise.
* Hardened Security Appliance, which is not designed to run any additional services and thus is less susceptible to attacks, ie, no backdoors to exploit or hack.
* The Security Services that employ Kernel-level Packet Filtering and Safe Routing to ensure that unauthenticated connection attempts such as malformed packets or denial of service (DOS) attacks are filtered out.
* Secure Virtual Workspace, which ensures all corporate data is securely deleted from a kiosk or other unmanaged endpoint after a session.
* Cache Cleaner, which ensures no potentially sensitive session data is left behind on the endpoint machine.
* Data Trap and Cache Controls that prevent sensitive metadata, such as cookies, headers and form entries, from leaving the network.
* Integrated Malware Protection ie, pre-installed checks to protect users and devices from keyloggers, Trojans and remote control applications.
* Coordinated Threat Control, which enables Secure Access SSL VPN and intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) appliances to tie the session identity of the SSL VPN with the threat detection capabilities of IDP, taking automatic action on users launching attacks.
* Secure Meeting, an optional licence that allows the Secure Access device to be extended to host secure anytime, anywhere, cost-effective online Web conferencing and remote control PC access.
Juniper's Secure Access portfolio has successfully distinguished itself from its competitors by demonstrating balanced progress and effort in all execution and vision categories. Their actions raise the competitive bar for all products in the market, and they can change the course of the industry. To remain in the Leaders quadrant, vendors must excel in mobile access and protection and must dominate in sales.
SecureData Security, part of JSE-listed SecureData Holdings, is the leading sub-Saharan security distributor for Juniper Networks.
For further information, please contact David Naude at tel. +27 11 790 2500; fax +27 11 790 2599; e-mail davidn@securedata.co.za.
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Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks is the leader in high-performance networking. It offers a high-performance network infrastructure that creates a responsive and trusted environment for accelerating the deployment of services and applications over a single network, which in turn, fuels high-performance businesses.
SecureData
SecureData is a specialist, value-added distributor of perimeter, application, network, endpoint, storage and identity information security solutions and risk management solutions for the African sub-continent and Indian Ocean islands. A cross-section of the available solutions from SecureData illustrates wide coverage of the following information security and risk management domains: business continuity, security appliances and devices, hardware authentication, identity and access management, security and vulnerability management, secure content management, threat management and security services.
SecureData's information security and risk management solutions include best-of-breed solutions, devices and appliances for the perimeter, data centres, applications, network, endpoints, messaging and Web. In addition, as a value-add to vendor, channel and customer, SecureData also provides a full complement of support, pre-sales and professional services around the solutions positioned in each discrete security vertical.
For more information, visit SecureData at http://www.securedata.co.za.
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