Aerohive Networks iOS app for guest and BYOD management

Aerohive Networks has announced a new iOS App for guest and bring your own device (BYOD) management and enhanced security services to further protect wireless networks across organisations, including those with IoT initiatives.

The company is also teaming with Impulse to deliver end-to-end network security, protection and visibility.

With demand for mobility and wireless rapidly replacing Ethernet as the primary access method onto the network, organisations across all sectors are concerned about the security challenges that lie ahead. The mobility landscape is continually evolving with the onslaught of BYOD and wearable devices, making it increasingly challenging for organisations to maintain a high level of visibility and control, while keeping up with the latest security requirements and practices to protect their network.

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to explode, internet-connected devices - such as surveillance systems, building sensors and temperature monitors - will require high-speed, high-capacity network connectivity as well as external connectivity.

Aerohive is expanding its security capabilities to help organisations remain secure, flexible and in control with new enhancements to its ID Manager application and private pre-shared key (PPSK) feature.

ID Manager now has an accompanying iOS app that enables self-service guest and BYOD registration by employees. The intuitive design and automated workflow helps avoid mistakes and reduce helpdesk calls to IT, while delegating administration of private pre-shared keys to employees in Active Directory.

Aerohive’s PPSK feature provides the simplicity of a pre-shared key (PSK) with the security of 802.1X to enforce identity-based access. The power of the PPSK is its simplicity in connecting users and the control it provides for administrators. With the ability to easily onboard and identify devices, organisations can scale their network for BYOD and IoT support without compromising security and eliminate complexity concerns.

While classic PSK does not allow the revocation of a single user’s credentials (since all users share the same passphrase), PPSK offers a unique key per individual, allowing the administrator to revoke a single set of credentials. Aerohive’s PPSK unlocks additional capabilities for the IT manager, including role-based access (either user or device) with the ability to specify application accessibility, VLAN assignment, firewall policies, minimum and maximum bandwidth allowances and time-of-day rights.

Aerohive’s new and improved ID Manager is the first enterprise access management system to leverage the cloud to simplify and automate the deployment and onboarding of guest and employee personal devices to the enterprise network. With their unique PSK, guests can easily be registered by any employee, and employees can seamlessly onboard their personal devices. At the same time, IT is provided with granular visibility and control over who, and what, gains network access, when and how.

In addition, Aerohive has partnered with Impulse to extend its security functionality to network access control (NAC). Combining Aerohive’s cooperative control network infrastructure and Impulse SafeConnect solutions utilises key advantages from both architectures. Impulse’s device-centric access control approach integrates directly with Aerohive’s access point user profiles to dynamically assign Layer 2-7 firewall policies and quality-of-service privileges without the need for VLAN steering, while also providing real-time device security assessment and enforcement. SafeConnect for Aerohive delivers enterprise-grade NAC, while ensuring the best possible network performance and user experience.