Network Access Control: One Step Before Your First Line of Defence

NAC has never been more essential


IT managers today face a great challenge. The new reality is that not everyone is accessing a network from the same controlled ecosystem. Increasing employee mobility, a rising number of BYOD devices, and the need to support hybrid work environments has greatly increased our reliance on network security in order to prevent cyber- attacks. IT admins are forced to review the security perimeter.

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The 3A Principles of NAC


Authentication

User is prompted for credentials and identity verification (Who are you? Can you prove you are who you say you are?)

Authorisation

System confirms or denies based on the access policies (What are you allowed to do on the network?)

Accounting

System tracks user activities (What are you doing, and for how long?)

 

Access without proper authentication doesn’t make sense


Strengthening the security of networks, systems and data is one of the most pressing challenges IT managers face. It requires a comprehensive approach to security, and it starts with managing who has access to your company's most valuable asset: data.  

The task of IT is to provide secure access to IT sanctioned networks and applications while keeping unauthorised users at bay, this is why providing robust network security is more important than ever.

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The ultimate goal is an environment where users can access resources with a frictionless experience that does not compromise IT efficiency, security or compliance.

Taking the end user out of the equation


It's a given fact that the user is the weakest link in the security chain, the cost of human errors adds up. For IT administrators, an ideal system does not require knowledge from an end-user, as end-users are more likely to make mistakes than an automated process. The person should not be there; they need to be verified correctly but not by themselves. This is why you should try to eliminate the user as maximum as possible.

Using digital certificates, you remove the user as part of the authentication process. Digital certificates provides credentials that identify a user (and often their device or devices) known to the network.

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NAC delivers advantages throughout the organisation


The CEO

Return on Investment (ROI)​

  • Leverage your existing network infrastructure to enforce your organisation's policies​
  • Get more value out of your existing investments (in addition to other benefits of NAC)​

Regulatory Compliance​

  • Be able to track and report on all users and devices accessing your network resources
  • Provide detailed "audit trails" in the event of compliance audits​

Benefits for End-Users

  • No need for users to take devices into the office or get IT to do any setup
  • With the user-friendly app, users can self-serve certificate requests on their device
  • Proactive notifications prompt users before their certificate expires, no downtime

Benefits for IT Managers

  • Simplified and automated manual and labour-intensive IT functions​
  • Off-load tasks from IT and Help Desk to increase their productivity ​
  • Prevents unauthorised network access, with straightforward and powerful (short-life) certificate management – even on unmanaged and BYO devices
  • Self-enrolment drastically reduces deployment time

 

 

NAC is a foundational network security defence


The majority of breaches and data theft occur behind firewalls, making NAC a critical component of a multilayered security policy. But organizations need to understand that NAC is not a silver bullet that can protect their network against all types of threats, rather it should be used along with other systems to ensure complete network access protection. It doesn’t take the place of a firewall and won’t protect against data leaving through e-mail, printouts, or USB flash drives.  

Nevertheless, NAC is more than a security solution; it helps you create a productive working environment for your team and create an impressive, seamless experience for your guests. It is your first line of defence of IT Security.

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Soliton's NAC - NetAttest EPS


Network administrators and IT departments often see authentication as a burden. NetAttest EPS changes that perception. Easily implement Network Access Control and provide users with the most convenient solution on any device or operating system.

NetAttest EPS is a complete, port-based network access solution and uses the IEEE 802.1X standard to act as an authentication and authorisation server. It's ideal for protecting both large networks and small networks, in one location or many, and it protects the wire, Wi-Fi and VPN.