Security
Security is a primary concern for school districts, and Alcatel-Lucent’s networking solutions are built to support and extend their security policies across the network – from the network core to the applications and devices students and teachers use everyday.
As you can see in Figure 2, Alcatel-Lucent’s converged wired and wireless networks are composed of virtual LANs (VLANs) with the access rights and applications for each user role – students, teachers, school and district administrators, parents, etc. A user’s network access and assignment to the appropriate VLAN can be based on the device media access control (MAC) address, IP address, or protocol. A district can configure its security solution to match its desired security policy.
Alcatel-Lucent’s OmniAccess SafeGuard further enhances a district’s ability to peer deeper into network traffic to determine what users are doing on the network and then compare that with what they’re allowed to do. OmniAccess SafeGuard then flags any activities prohibited by the district’s acceptable use policies (such as peer-to-peer downloads or unsecure, public instant messaging), therefore helping K-12 districts enforce the school board’s desire to keep students safe online.
Figure 2. Alcatel-Lucent’s role-based, VLAN security solution
8 Alcatel-Lucent Creating Digital Learning Spaces - Solutions for K-12
