6 ways Aruba Networks protects the edge

See how Aruba’s built-in network security solutions can protect against advanced threats.

As organizations shift to support an influx of remote workers and large numbers of new IoT devices, new challenges have burdened IT teams around onboarding, visibility, and security. 

At the same time, the continued migration of applications to the cloud has changed the way we approach network planning and related security requirements since legacy networks were not designed to accommodate a cloud-first world. 

As we move into this complex future of network security, threats continue to grow and organizations require a more holistic, end-to-end approach to ensure security and compliance is addressed where new devices, users, and branch offices reside - the edge. 

To help IT teams with these growing network challenges, Aruba Network’s security solutions ensure full visibility, control, and enforcement with a built-in foundation for Zero Trust to help secure the intelligent edge. 

In this blog, we’ll cover six built-in Aruba Network security solutions that will help you grow your intelligent edge:

1. Device discovery and profiling

Critical to obtaining a Zero Trust Framework is gaining the visibility, control, and peace of mind you need to keep pace with today’s IoT security and compliance challenges.

ClearPass Device Insight delivers the visibility and intelligence required to address the risk of unidentified and unmanaged devices on your network. 

With ClearPass Device Insight, you can: 

• Broadly and accurately profile all wireless and wired connected devices
• Provide contextual information from traditional IT managed devices to previously undetected IoT devices such as cameras, medical equipment, and other hard-to-detect endpoints
• Classify unknown devices and provide classification recommendations

2. Network Access Control for wired, wireless, and WAN

IoT and remote workers are changing the way IT thinks about network access control. Applying consistent policies and granular security controls to your wired and wireless networks can reduce the risk IT teams will experience when shifting to these new environments.  

ClearPass Policy Manager provides role and device-based network access control for employees, contractors, and guests across any multivendor wired, wireless, and VPN infrastructure. ClearPass Policy Manager also features:

• A built-in context-based policy engine
• RADIUS, TACACS+, Non-RADIUS enforcement options
• Device profiling
• Posture assessment
• Onboarding
• Guest options

Aruba ClearPass is unrivaled as a foundation for network security in organizations of any size. ClearPass Policy Manager is available as both virtual and hardware appliances and can be deployed in a cluster to increase scalability and redundancy. 

3. Unified threat management for SD-WAN

Aruba’s Unified Threat Management Portfolio is built to prevent and contain threats, even in distributed environments. These edge and cloud-based security controls are built to preserve the performance and cost-effectiveness of your cloud and broadband connections. Here’s how Aruba can protect LANs and WANs from internal and external threats:

• Policy Enforcement Firewall
• Creates a firewall at the Edge. 
• Sets rules on wireless and wired networks. 
• Works seamlessly with Aruba infrastructure and ClearPass Policy Manager to keep Zero Trust principles in check.
• Dynamic Segmentation
• Automates least-access and micro-segmentation privileges on wired, wireless, campus, and branch networks.
• Advanced Threat Defense
• Establishes and enforces policies with a stateful, application-aware firewall. Includes deep packet inspection (DPI) combined with application classification and web content filtering. Also provides an integrated Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) with the Aruba 9000 series.

4. Secure remote access VPN solutions

Implementing reliable and secure connectivity for your remote employees and students can be a challenge. It requires more than just a VPN tunnel. With Aruba’s cloud-managed access points (APs) and soft clients you can: 

• Provide the same level of protection in the home as in the office
• Enable military-grade encryption
• Enable policy-based access control
• Manage via cloud
• Experience simple and fast deployment. AP’s and soft clients work right out of the box.

5. Integrated protection for Aruba WLAN

RFProtectTM software prevents denial-of-service and man-in-the-middle attacks and mitigates over-the-air security threats. The best part? You’ll never need to purchase and install separate RF sensors or security appliances if you have an Aruba wireless LAN, eliminating the need for expensive overlay IDS systems with dedicated sensors.

6. Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform) with Edge-to-Cloud Security

Aruba ESP is the only architecture that enables organizations to implement an end-to-end network architecture composed of WLAN, switching, SD-WAN, AIOps, all with security built-in from the start.

With Aruba ESP, you can deliver faster user connections, faster IoT onboarding, faster scaling of secure locations, faster operational insights on a single architecture, and have a built-in foundation for Zero Trust and SASE frameworks.

Aruba ESP also features:

• The largest telemetry-based data lake for AIOps
• Dynamic Segmentation and policy enforcement rules to secure new devices
• Cloud-managed orchestration across wired, wireless, and WAN
• Ultimate flexibility - in the cloud, on-premises, or consumed as-a-service

Aruba’s security innovations have recently been recognized by the Cyber Catalyst designation for its ClearPass family of identity-based access control security solutions. To learn more about the Cyber Catalyst program, visit https://www.ec-mea.com/cyber-insurer-marsh-recognises-aruba-security-innovations/.  

VLCM is the 2020 Aruba West Region Partner of the Year, for achievements within areas of sales, expertise in delivering Aruba solutions, and commitment to customer service.

To learn more about how Aruba can better secure your business, get in touch with one of our VLCM representatives at www.vlcm.com/contact-us.