Network Access Control For Dummies®

1.3. The Best NAC Approach

So, how do you decide the best NAC solution approach for you, your network, and your organization? How do you select a solution to best meet your access control needs, without forcing yourself to redesign or redefine your network?

No one offers a single, be-all-and-end-all NAC product. First, you and your organization must decide what area or areas of your network you need to secure, as well as what issue is the most dangerous to your organization, network, and resources. A NAC solution can address these kinds of needs:

• Giving guest users secure, appropriate access to your network, while protecting your key resources and IP

• Differentiating access for different user types, such as employees, contractors, partners, and guests

• Protecting sensitive data and intellectual property from unauthorized access

• Minimizing the fear of an insider threat

• Addressing regulatory compliance and preparing for compliance audits

Your organization first needs to consider whether a particular NAC solution can handle the different device types that will be trying to access the network. Any comprehensive NAC solution should seamlessly address employee or guest user authentication and endpoint compliance before it grants a user, and his or her endpoint device, access to a network.

1.3.1. Do your NAC homework

Regardless of the issue or issues that your organization prioritizes — what ...