Network Access Controls

Looming malware time bomb. The common use of smartphones on a corporate network poses a potentially huge system threat, but is many times overlooked. 

Originally a simple way to keep malware-infected computers separated from their networks back in 2003, Network Access Control or NAC has now evolved into a powerful tool for security policy enforcement. As Andrew Braunberg, Research Director, Enterprise Security, reports, “For organizations to truly exploit the potential of NAC deployments, vendors need to support a broad set of network infrastructure and threat protection devices. NAC offerings need to interoperate in heterogeneous networking environments by providing enforcement on all leading switches and routers, and containing threats detected by multi-vendor intrusion detection/prevention systems. Smartphones are a case in point.

Data losses and the use of removable storage worry corporate managers, but, as Infonetics Research pointed out, 48% of IT managers polled said they would rely on the smartphone OS to handle all security issues. Although NAC solutions have evolved to meet threats like those posed by infected smartphones, it appears that nearly half of the IT managers have not.

Best-in-Class Network Access Control features:

• Identifies devices by IP address, hostname, MAC address, machine ID, and traffic fingerprinting.
• Offers patch management and vulnerability assessment solutions.
• Profiles and online updates of bot infections and other software-related threats

Top Considerations before Buying Network Access Control:

A NAC solution that automatically identifies "problem users," alerts, and then on-the-spot provides education to a company’s “problem users” as to company policy, and, as is the case with one NAC vendor’s product, allows the IT manager to solve the problem without ever having to touch a single user’s computer or change a network configuration.

Key Providers:

1. Black Box Network Services from Black Box Corporation, founded in 1973, provides network infrastructure services for communication systems. The company offers design, installation, integration, monitoring, and maintenance of voice, data, and integrated communication systems, selling its products and services through catalog, Internet Web site, and voice and data services offices. Black Box Network Services has experience designing, installing, and maintaining complex voice and data networks, using wide range of portfolio platforms and applications from manufacturers to deliver VoIP solutions for organizations of all sizes and in all kinds of industries.

2. Gemalto, incorporated in the Netherlands in 2006, is the product of the merger between French companies Axalto and Gemplus. The combined company offers digital security, providing secure personal devices like smart cards and tokens in addition to software applications and managed services. Gemalto’s Smart Enterprise Guardian, a USB device, is a typical security offering. It allows security options such as secure logon and logoff, lock and unlock, digitally sign Microsoft Office macros and Adobe Acrobat documents, open and verify signed documents, send and receive secure email using Microsoft or Mozilla email software, and connect securely with a web server.

3. McAfee, Inc. provides security products that protect computers, networks, and mobile devices. Its software and hardware protect users from viruses, spam, and spyware. Other offerings include data loss prevention, mobile security, host intrusion prevention, encryption, and e-mail security tools. McAfee claims its Unified Secure Access to be the world’s first network access control (NAC) solution to unify both endpoint and network security with access control and policy auditing. Unified Secure Access offers integrated security against threats inside and outside the network.  It controls access and protects against broad threats with application-based and identity-based technologies that control access to critical network resources.

4. AstaroAG, founded in 2000, sells hardware, software, and virtual appliances that aim to protect corporate, school, and government networks against Internet threats such as system intruders, viruses, spam, and spyware. Astaro integrates "Best of Breed" solutions through a combination of open source and leading commercial security products to offer feature rich “all in one” appliances for network access and security. The Astaro Security Gateway is a hardware appliance that provides many different security features, including those for VPNs, IPS, firewalls and other security capabilities.

5. Aruba Networks, Inc., founded in 2002, offers enterprise  solutions that enable secure access to data, voice, and video applications.  Its ArubaOS, a modular and flexible operating system is a network architecture and network security application, offering IT managers  a centralized point-of-control over the access points, mobile users, and mobile devices.  The company also provides products like the Aruba Mobility Management System that automatically discovers, monitors, and manages mobility controllers, access points, and users--simultaneously from a single console.  Aruba's mobility controllers aggregate network traffic from access points, process it using its software controls, and then delivers it to networks primarily for offices, retail stores, and campuses, as well as wireless access points and wired access concentrators.
 
Network Access Control
Definition: Network Access Control, or NAC, is an approach to computer network security that attempts to unify endpoint security technology, user or system authentication and network security enforcement. NAC controls access to a network with policies, including pre-admission endpoint security policy checks and post-admission controls over where users and devices can go on a network and what they can do.