Pica8 PicOS upgrade enhances network security
Pica8 claims its PicOS network operating system will address rising security and efficiency challenges with its new network access control integrations.
Pica8 upgraded its Linux-based network operating system PicOS to include new capabilities to address network efficiency and security.
With this release, Pica8 PicOS interoperates with existing network access control (NAC) tools, enabling fully automated network access policy enforcement in an open networking deployment. According to Pica8, automation improves operational efficiency with a simplified UI and improved security posture.
According to Forrester, 46% of information employees use personal laptops and mobile devices for work, which creates an increasingly complex device landscape that must be managed with BYOD programs and increased network security.
The age of BYOD and IoT deployments create security challenges for enterprise networking, according to Pica8; as enterprises automate, simplify and modernize access networks, most customers have NAC systems in place. PicOS' NAC integration support and a centralized policy-based access control for network access points these challenges, according to the vendor.
Building off its October 2018 support for the Dell EMC N3132PX-ON 2.5G/5G Mutigig PoE switch, Pica8 added PicOS availability for ISE and ClearPass, supporting the Open Network Install Environment standard that enables PicOS to deploy onto platforms. Additionally, PicOS is automatically included with the Packetfence 9.0 release.
Pica8's PicOS open networking operating system is offered in an enterprise edition as well as an SDN edition. PicOS Enterprise Edition installs on 1G to 100G open switches and offers the most comprehensive support, including the Debian Linux distribution, Nymble, and Pica8's CrossFlow capability. PicOS SDN Edition includes the Debian Linux distribution and Nymble, and uses OpenFlow 1.5's User-Defined Fields for packet inspection.
