Network Access Control | You can't live without it

We work with more and more devices, all of which connect to a network. Ease of use and accessibility during work are central to this. That is of course ideal, but it is also a security risk and you put an increasing burden on your network. That is why it is important that you keep a grip on the accessibility of your network. Do you know exactly who is connected to your network where, when and in what way? The answer is probably no. Below we explain why you really can no longer do without Network Access Control.

The ecosystem in which devices such as laptops, smartphones and IP cameras exchange data is a real candy store for hackers. That is why it is smart to subject your devices to a thorough check the moment they want to connect to your network. Because the quality of hackers and cyber attacks is growing just as fast as IT security itself. 

You don't just let everyone in at home, do you? 

Just like you don't let everyone in at home, you don't want everyone to just connect to your network. Where you normally build a physical barrier, you do that virtually with your network. Because you simply cannot make well-founded decisions if you do not know who is connecting to your network. That is why it is smart to subject your devices to a thorough check the moment they want to connect to your network. You do this with Network Access Control (NAC).

What is Network Access Control? 

Network Access Control allows you to link different security technologies. This way you ensure a centralized approach to your network access, whether you have a wired or wireless network. For example, you can use NAC to restrict network access for allowed users. But also to ensure that all devices that connect to your network meet certain requirements. Think of checks whether the latest anti-virus software is installed and whether there are known vulnerabilities. With NAC you define the policy of your organization centrally. This means that a user always gets the desired level of access, regardless of where or when they connect to your network. After a number of security checks, your system automatically determines whether it grants access to your network.

How does Network Access Control work? 

But how exactly does that work? With NAC, you can secure your network before someone enters the network. During this pre-admission phase you perform an access control. You decide which access rules you use for which users and which segments. This is the foundation of your access policy against which every connection is tested. Below you can see which steps NAC goes through:

1. Do you know the user and his device? 

Allowed users can log in to your network. Is it an unknown user? Then you have to determine whether that person is allowed access and with what permissions. But you also record which rights and access they have for authorized users. This can differ, for example, with a private device compared to a business device.

2.Is the device safe?

Before someone connects to your network, check the security of the device. Is the operating system configuration up to date? Is a firewall and antivirus installed? Do you detect malware or ransomware? When in doubt, place the device in quarantine.

3.What rights does the user or device have?

You have recorded in your NAC policies which rules your system uses to decide which rights a user or a device has. Based on this, the user or device gains access to certain segments of your network.

4. Are there threats lurking?

Once connected to the corporate network, your firewall can communicate with your NAC solution to indicate that a device or user is not secure and should no longer access the network. NAC then ensures that the connection is actively broken if desired. This way, your network remains protected, even after devices have connected.

Where do you implement NAC? 

NAC is indispensable for any institution or company where a large number of users from different locations and with multiple devices connect to the company network. Below are a few examples:

Educational institutions typically have a user base that changes periodically. But staff and teachers also connect to the network with multiple devices from multiple locations. University campuses are often seen as an IT specialist's worst nightmare. Network access control solutions give IT administrators the ability to create policies that determine who can access which parts of the network. NAC solutions can also provide access to the control site and determine how many devices a user can connect to the network or what types of devices are allowed to do so.

• healthcare

Another example of network access control implementation is healthcare. Especially here, NAC solutions face many security challenges. Think of the increasing number of medical devices that connect to the network, external partners that communicate with each other and the enormous amount of personal and medical data that is exchanged. With NAC, you can easily improve overall security in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. NAC enables healthcare personnel to quickly and easily access patient information, while limiting that information only to designated personnel.

• Commercial organization?

There are a number of ways in which NAC can also benefit your organization. For example, when implementing a new access policy or providing security analytics that apply machine learning and perform security analytics to identify security risks. Ultimately, a NAC solution must provide insight and ease of management.

Management and insight with NAC

Only when you have insight into who is connected to your network, when and in what way, you can make well-founded choices about the management of your network. How many users are on my network? And with which devices? How much traffic is there on my network? By means of weekly or monthly reports you know exactly what the status of your network is. This way you know what to focus on and where your priorities lie. In addition to better insight into your network performance and network security, you also maximize the efficiency of your network. And with that you ultimately even reduce your IT costs. In other words: you can no longer do without Network Access Control!

Knowing more? Then read our infographic about Network Access Control or our e-book about network management.