Networking Business Extreme Networks Inc. today announced new features within ExtremeCloud Universal ZTNA, the company’s identity-based network access solution that simplifies and strengthens network security in remote and campus environments.

New features include enhanced capabilities to reduce shadow computing risks by automating the identification of private applications and tracking user access. The enhancements enable IT teams to more effectively manage application usage, limit unauthorized access to non-compliant tools, and enforce a consistent security policy. A new feature to add or deny applications with a single click streamlines policy enforcement and improves overall network observability.

ExtremeCloud Universal ZTNA now also reduces troubleshooting time by allowing teams to adjust policies and resolve identity-level access issues directly from the dashboard, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual interventions . The net result is that resolving access issues across the network is accelerated, while at the same time, organizations can maintain a zero trust security posture for all users, applications and devices.

Universal ZTNA now also supports automated policy enforcement across the entire Extreme Networks portfolio, including third-party switches and access points. According to the company, this flexibility allows organizations to manage security policies consistently across hybrid network environments, whether users are on-site or working remotely. An integration with ExtremeCloud IQ further simplifies the management process for IT teams.

“Organizations need to support hybrid working models and have faced the complexity caused by network and security silos,” said David Nuti, head of security strategy at Extreme Networks. “The policies are cluttered and inconsistent. Licensing is complicated. With new devices and new users, the risk increases every day. To reduce this complexity, organizations are moving away from traditional VPN and firewall solutions.

Extreme Networks was already making headlines in July when it announced that it had partnered with Intel Corp.’s connectivity analysis program. to improve its AI Expert solution. The link brought improvements that involved using data from networks via Extreme and PCs with Intel data and combining this with generative artificial intelligence and the Intel Connectivity Analytics SDK, with the aim of to make networks smarter, faster and more reliable.

Photo: Extreme networks