How does Network Access Control work

Network Access Control (or NAC) is a system that controls who can access or use a network and/or resources on the network. It goes by many names, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) authentication service and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). The goal of Network Access Control is to protect your company’s assets from unauthorized use. Your assets could be anything from intellectual property to sensitive corporate data.

What is the purpose of network access control?

Network Access Control helps companies enforce their security policies. The purpose of Network Access Control is to ensure that only authorized users are allowed onto the network and connected devices meet certain standards for interoperability, performance, reliability, data confidentiality, or integrity.

How does it work?

Network Access Control works by verifying the identity of devices seeking to access a company’s network. Network Access Control can be deployed in different ways, including client-based software agents or agentless access gateways. The device being authenticated might need to provide information upfront or after it has been granted permission onto the network for authentication to take place.

For example, to access a wireless network an employee’s laptop must first provide its machine name and then the user logs in with his or her credentials. This allows Network Access Control to identify who is using which devices on the network at any given time.

How Network Access Control is implemented?

Network Access Control is implemented by a specific set of rules that are defined in the company’s security policy. The rule sets can be customized to meet the needs of particular individuals or groups.
In a business environment, Network Access Control rules are typically enforced by using access control lists (ACLs) on the company’s routers, switches, and wireless access points. These rules are often defined by network administrators.
Network Access Control can also be implemented on individual devices, such as Windows workstations. This is typically done by installing client software that verifies an endpoint’s identity or posture compliance before allowing it access to the network.

When should you consider implementing NAC?

When your company wants to make sure that only authorized users are accessing its assets using approved equipment in compliance with established policies, then you should consider Network Access Control.
Network Access Control is also an option if your company has multiple locations and wants to maintain the same level of security at each location.
In some cases, different departments in your company might require Network Access Control on their network segments to ensure that they are complying with internal security policies.
Network Access Control can also be implemented to meet industry-specific compliance requirements, such as those for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).

What about when things go wrong?

If there’s an issue with a user’s system, NAC can notify the IT department about the problem and recommend corrective action. For example: If a laptop has been infected by malware or is running an older operating system that fails to meet your company’s security policy requirements it will be listed in Network Access Control logs for review by network administrators.

What are some things you need to know before implementing Network Access Control?

There are several elements involved in deciding whether or not your company should implement NAC.

You’ll need to consider your company’s security policies and whether or not NAC will help you achieve compliance. You’ll also need to assess your company’s existing infrastructure and determine if it can support the implementation of NAC.
It’s important to have a good understanding of NAC capabilities and limitations, including how it works in your network environment. Before you implement Network Access Control make sure that the device authentication requirements meet your company’s requirements.
NAC is only one part of your overall network security strategy. Your overall network security strategy must include anti-malware, endpoint protection, and threat defense.

What are some advantages of Network Access Control?

Network Access Control has several advantages for your company.

Preventing unauthorized devices from accessing your network
Validating endpoint security status and compliance with company policies
Monitoring access activities in order to identify suspicious behavior.
NAC also makes sure that devices meet certain security standards, such as minimum operating system and patch levels to protect against unauthorized access or malware infections.

What are some disadvantages of Network Access Control?

Network Access Control is not the ideal solution for companies that use temporary employees or home-based workers. It can also be difficult to manage and maintain in large, distributed environments where NAC policies need to be enforced separately on each network segment.

Network Access Control also has its limitations when used with mobile devices. Some of these are:

The device must support 802.11 standards for wireless access, which is not the case with older laptop models or tablets without built-in Wi-Fi capabilities.
Mobile users might have problems connecting to NAC if they work remotely from a VPN connection.
Network Access Control is not designed to prevent all types of security threats, which means it’s important to have an effective backup plan in place that addresses potential issues or gaps left by NAC.

Conclusion:

Network Access Control is an important part of your overall network security strategy. You should carefully consider whether or not it makes sense for your company prior to implementation. NAC has many benefits but may be costly depending on what type of solution you implement and how much staff are required to deploy, manage, maintain the system once it’s in place.