Brescia University deploys Avenda's eTIPS security policy solution to authenticate and authorize users

01 July 2010

Brescia University is a Catholic, liberal arts institution founded in in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1950 by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. Avenda Systems has announced that Brescia University has deployed its eTIPS enterprise security policy solution to authenticate and authorize users based on their role in order to dynamically apply access control to approved network resources. Students, staff, and faculty are now differentiated based on their role, access method and location, without having to statically configure permissions on network switches and wireless controllers.

Identity and location-based policies are now used to differentiate access to resources and to control bandwidth usage. For example, students logging onto the wireless network in student housing will receive email and internet access. If logging in from the library, they will receive access to email, the Internet and secure campus servers.

“We were looking for a way to dynamically track and differentiate network access, for both our wired and wireless networks,” said Chris Ford, network administrator at Brescia University. “Avenda’s solution offers a complete set of policy applications for authenticating all of our users and devices. Avenda offers the versatility to enhance Microsoft NAP health checks, and it supported our multi-vendor network right out of the box.”

In the future, Ford said eTIPS will also provide the ability to differentiate privileges based on the health of a users’ device. Computers not meeting peer-to-peer application usage guidelines or anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall requirements will not be permitted to connect to production campus networks until a remediation process has been performed.

The eTIPS platform will also host an external captive portal that will consolidate authentications to a common platform for all access methods. A consistent set of security policies for wired and wireless access ensures that each user will receive their authorized privileges regardless of connection method.

“While differentiated access not only protects their users, Brescia can also offer an improved online experience without having to reconfigure or replace any major parts of the network,” said Santhosh Cheeniyil, VP of engineering at Avenda Systems. “Understanding who is on the network is a big step toward improving security, performance, and compliance initiatives.”