MIRAGE NETWORKS PREDICTS NAC BOOM.

Mirage Networks, Inc., Austin, Texas, an award-winning developer of Network Access Control (NAC) technology, points to new research validating the arrival of NAC as an enterprise security standard and forecasting that preemptive management of the network interior will be a top priority on the 2007 security agenda.

"In the recent survey of technology decision makers in our Endpoint Security Strategies Part I: The Network Access Control Benchmark, we found that 44% plan to deploy NAC technology in 2007 as part of their security infrastructure," stated Mounil Patel, vice president and research director at Harte-Hanks Aberdeen Group. "Organizations are shifting their focus from traditional perimeter defenses to address the real weak spot in security infrastructures, their internal users. NAC allows companies to actively reduce help desk remediation costs by stopping internal threat propagation while adding automated enforcement of endpoint configuration polices to meet their compliance objectives." "We've seen a fundamental transformation of thinking with respect to how network security threats should be managed. Key decision makers now realize that threats must be actively preempted and proactively addressed," said Howard A. Schmidt, president and CEO of R & H Security Consulting. Schmidt has served as a Special Advisor on Cyber Security to the White House as well as chief information security officer for both eBay and Microsoft.

Aberdeen's study also shows that 45% of respondents said that unmanaged PCs (used by contractors, partners, auditors, guests, etc.) connect to their networks on a weekly basis, a key risk factor that is spurring NAC investment.

"In a mobile era of decentralized network access, security and technology decision makers recognize that the network perimeter can no longer be the last line of defense," contended Schmidt. "In order to successfully operationalize security, we need to aggressively enforce security policies while ensuring network accessibility. To meet these objectives, it is vital to ensure the network interior is managed as actively as the perimeter."

In 2006, market research firms across the spectrum identified the growth of NAC technology as a key enterprise security trend. In their surveys of technology decision makers, several research firms found evidence of widespread concern as the proliferation of mobile devices, remote-access media and other unmanaged endpoints puts network assets and organizational reputations at risk.

Given current concerns about network security exposure, Infonetics Research, a Campbell, Calif.-based research firm, predicted that revenue associated with NAC enforcement will skyrocket from $323 million in 2005 to $3.9 billion in 2008.

"We're not surprised by the conclusions of the research," said Greg Stock, president and CEO of Mirage Networks. "Three years ago, we asked our customers what they needed most to improve network security. They responded by describing a comprehensive solution that enforced security policies both before and after endpoints are granted network access. Now, three years later, the market has arrived and our patented Network Access Control solution is poised to become the standard for enterprises worldwide."

Your complimentary copy of Endpoint Security Strategies Part I: The Network Access Control Benchmark can be found at http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410434&cid=3723

About Mirage Networks

Mirage Networks, Inc. is a provider of Network Access Control (NAC) solutions, including both pre- and post-admission security. The company's patented technology gives organizations control over unknown, out-of-policy, and infected devices resulting in increased network uptime, policy compliance and reduced operational costs. Mirage's NAC appliances work in all network environments, deploy out-of-band and require neither signatures nor agents to enforce policies and terminate zero-day threats. Based in Austin, Texas, Mirage Networks' Endpoint Control is a consistent winner of industry awards and recognition.

For more information, visit http://www.miragenetworks.com or call 610/925-2761.