InfoExpress

The reality of today’s networks is that a large percentage of the devices connected to it are unknown to administrators. These may consist of mobile devices, WAPs, or user owned machines attaching to the network. This trend is growing as the number of tablets, phones, personal notebooks, ebooks, and even game systems attach to the network and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies become the norm.
Because administrators do not manage user owned devices, the applications and operating systems range from the latest betas to very old versions with commensurate security vulnerabilities. In today’s networks, administrators are faced with a disparate set of endpoint configurations that do not meet corporate security policies.
User owned devices are not the property of the organization, so intrusive security software running on the devices cannot be mandated by IT. Therefore, organizations that deny access to the devices face loss of productivity, and organizations that allow the devices open up potential threats to the network.
Ideally, unknown devices should not have access to the network until they are registered, either by the users or administrators, and access should be limited to just what’s necessary. However, networks that provide access for BYOD devices must also provide broader access for employee computers connecting to servers and other enterprise resources.