Interoperability between Juniper Networks and Microsoft security technologies

Juniper and Microsoft announced the companies are working together to provide customers and partners with open standards-based interoperability between Juniper Networks Unified Access Control and Microsoft Network Access Protection. Interoperability between NAP and the Juniper Networks UAC solution will provide customers with greater choice, flexibility and investment protection for network access control deployments.

Juniper Networks and Microsoft are further demonstrating joint commitment and continuing support for the Trusted Computing Group’s Trusted Network Connect open specifications for network access control. Microsoft has contributed NAP’s primary Statement of Health client-server protocol to the TCG. The TCG has adopted and published the Microsoft SOH protocol as a new TNC standard (IF-TNCCS-SOH). This will enable interoperability of NAP clients and servers with TNC clients, servers and infrastructure such as the Juniper Networks UAC solution.

The Juniper Networks Infranet Controller, the policy management server at the heart of the Juniper Networks UAC solution, will be able to leverage the built-in security assessment capabilities and the SOH protocol provided by the NAP agent built into the Windows Vista and Microsoft WindowsXP operating systems. Microsoft Network Policy Server brings a rich ecosystem of NAP health agents and will be able to interoperate with the Juniper Networks UAC solution in heterogeneous network environments. Microsoft NPS can either act as a policy server or be leveraged by the Juniper Networks Infranet Controller for rich endpoint information.

Microsoft is announcing that Windows Vista supports this protocol today and Windows Server 2008 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) will support it as well later this year. The Juniper Networks UAC solution is expected to support the new TNC standard in the first half of 2008.