How can network access control improve your network security?

2 How does NAC work?

NAC is a combination of software and hardware components, such as agents, servers, switches, routers, firewalls, and access points. These components communicate with each other to perform four main functions: discovery, evaluation, enforcement, and monitoring. During discovery, NAC scans and identifies the devices connected or trying to connect to the network. It collects information such as IP address, MAC address, user name, operating system, and security status. During evaluation, NAC evaluates the devices based on predefined security policies and assigns a risk score. Enforcement then enforces the appropriate actions for each device based on its risk score and compliance status. Finally, NAC monitors ongoing activities and behaviors of devices on the network and alerts of any changes or violations. It also generates reports and logs for auditing and analysis purposes.

3 What are the benefits of NAC?

NAC can improve your network security in several ways, such as preventing unauthorized access, detecting and isolating threats, complying with regulations, and improving visibility and control. This can block or restrict the access of devices that are not authorized, authenticated, or compliant with your security policies. It can also identify and isolate devices that are infected, compromised, or behaving maliciously. Additionally, NAC can help you comply with various regulations and standards that require you to protect your data and network from unauthorized access or disclosure. Furthermore, it can give you a comprehensive and real-time view of your network devices, their attributes, their activities, and their security status. This can help you manage your network more efficiently, optimize your resources, and troubleshoot issues faster.

4 What are the challenges of NAC?

NAC can present some challenges that should be taken into consideration. Complexity and cost can be an issue, as you may need to invest in new hardware, software, or licenses, and integrate them with your existing network infrastructure and systems. Additionally, compatibility and interoperability issues with different devices, operating systems, applications, or protocols may arise. User experience and acceptance can also be affected by NAC if users are not familiar with or supportive of your security policies. Therefore, it’s important to educate and inform users about the benefits and requirements of NAC, providing clear and consistent instructions, feedback, and support.

5 How to implement NAC?

NAC is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and you should tailor it to your specific network needs and goals. However, some general steps that you can follow to implement NAC include defining objectives and scope, assessing your current situation and risks, selecting components and policies, deploying and testing your solution, and maintaining and improving it. When defining objectives and scope, identify stakeholders such as network administrators, security managers, users, and vendors. Assess your current infrastructure, systems, devices, security policies, threats, vulnerabilities, and impacts. Select the NAC components and policies that suit your environment and security needs. Deploy and test the solution for functionality, performance, and security. Finally, monitor the NAC solution regularly and update it as needed to improve your network security and efficiency.