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ForeScout Mobile Delivers Unified Visibility and Control for Managed and Unmanaged Mobile Devices and PCs
[February 21, 2012]

ForeScout Mobile Delivers Unified Visibility and Control for Managed and Unmanaged Mobile Devices and PCs


Feb 21, 2012 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- ForeScout Technologies , Inc., a leading provider of automated security control solutions for Fortune 1000 enterprises and government organisations, today introduced ForeScout Mobile, a set of plug-in modules to enable rich Android and iOS security management, as well as a plug-in module for Mobile Device Management (MDM) integration. By combining ForeScout Mobile with ForeScout CounterACT, the companys award-winning Network Access Control (NAC) platform, security professionals can employ one console to gain unprecedented visibility and uniform control over managed and unmanaged mobile and PC devices.



According to IDC1, 40.7 percent of devices used by information workers to access business applications are ones that they own themselves including home PCs, smartphones and tablets such as Apples iPad. Furthermore, organisations underestimate the number of information workers using consumer devices for work by 50 percent.

"Knowing what is being utilised on an organisation's network and accessing resources is imperative to protecting on-going legitimate use and the privacy of information. Wireless computing and personal mobile devices are introducing new dynamics to network defences," said Steve Orman, technical director of the NHS Sussex Health Informatics Service. "Whether it is healthcare professionals wanting to use mobile devices and other applications to expedite supporting their patient, or a wireless device monitoring patients in the hospital, IT needs to ensure it has integrated toolsets - such as those from ForeScout - in place to manage the security controls of an organisation's assets, as well as those introduced by the users.


Security teams want the same endpoint intelligence, security assessment and enforcement options for mobile devices as they have for PCs and they want it all managed from one operating console. ForeScout Mobile meets this need by delivering the industrys first unified approach for NAC, BYOD and MDM and putting comprehensive mobile security at the operators fingertips. With ForeScout Mobile, IT organisations gain needed flexibility to accelerate Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) adoption and can better manage mobile security risks.

"Quocirca research shows that the majority of organisations now accept there is widespread use of personal devices for accessing businesses applications and that this is only going to increase, said Bob Tarzey, analyst and director at Quocirca. Businesses need management tools that enable the enforcement of common security policies across all end user devices, regardless of type and who actually owns them. ForeScout's extending of NAC with mobile security shows that they are supporting this requirement well." ForeScouts market-leading NAC solution, ForeScout CounterACT , identifies mobile devices, forces unknown users to register, and can automatically allow, deny or restrict access to specified network resources and wireless access points. All of this can be done from a single appliance, without the need for software agents running on the endpoints.

From the same console, ForeScout Mobile offers additional functionality by providing mobile device-specific security options and MDM integration.

ForeScout Mobile Security Module provides extensive information about the device, its user, its configuration, its apps and its security posture.

This allows CounterACT to enforce more granular network access and endpoint integrity policies for mobile devices. The Device Module for Android uses a mobile app that extends CounterACTs visibility and control for Android 2.1 or greater. The Device Module for iOS takes advantage of Apples native push notification service and MDM capabilities. Beyond blocking or limiting access to network resources, additional iOS remediation options include the ability to: remotely wipe and lock; enforce password policy; require apps such as anti-virus, MDM or virtualisation; remove or disable native apps such as the camera; enforce specific Wi-Fi access; and do more without requiring an agent on the Apple iPad or iPhone.

ForeScout Mobile MDM Module allows organisations to leverage their existing MDM solution within the broader context of unified security control that CounterACT provides. With this module, security teams can consolidate information about all endpoints on the network, including mobile devices through their MDM system, into the CounterACT platform. The security staff, from one console, can monitor and report on policy adherence, enforce mobile employee and guest compliance, and remediate devices across major mobile platforms such as iOS, Blackberry, Android and Windows. Operational efficiency is achieved by merging NAC and MDM security functions, enabling uniform access control policies to all managed and unmanaged mobile devices not available in MDM, and negating the need for security managers to request, learn or use an MDM console.

All this talk about smartphones, tablets and security must consider productivity gains. Like other employees, I readily use my iPad at home, on the road and at work. Security needs to be acceptable, unobtrusive and efficient for both users and IT, while fortifying necessary security mechanisms, said Gord Boyce, CEO at ForeScout. The ForeScout Mobile / CounterACT combination offers a smart, flexible and cost-effective means for organisations to implement and extend mobile security across different phases of BYOD adoption and maturity.

Delivered as a physical or virtual appliance, ForeScout CounterACT lets you see and control everything connected to your network no matter the device or user. ForeScout Mobile , an add-on module for ForeScout CounterACT, is licensed (perpetual) by the number of mobile devices with a price starting at $2,800 for 100 devices.

The ForeScout Mobile Module for Android and iOS are in beta test and will be available in April. The ForeScout Mobile MDM Module will be available in June. See ForeScout Mobile in action at the upcoming RSA 2012 conference, being held in San Francisco on February 27 to March 2 at booth 931.

About ForeScout Technologies, Inc.

ForeScout enables its customers to unleash the full power of their network through enterprise-class security and control. ForeScouts automated solutions for network access control, mobile security, endpoint compliance and threat prevention empower organisations to gain access agility while preempting risks and eliminating remediation costs. Because ForeScout security solutions are easy to deploy, unobtrusive, intelligent and scalable, they have been chosen by more than 1,000 of the worlds 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 by visiting www.forescout.com.

1 Source: IDC, 2011 Consumerisation of IT Study: Closing the Consumerisation Gap, sponsored by Unisys, July 2011 For further information please contact: Sally Bratton Bratton PR +44 (0)1296 394000 or +44 (0)7930 301601 [email protected] ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected].

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