Security

Seven Secrets to NAC Success

How to implement the technology to achieve maximum benefits and minimal disruption.

Joel Snyder, Ph.D., is a senior IT consultant with 30 years of practice. An internationally recognized expert in the areas of security, messaging and networks, Dr. Snyder is a popular speaker and author and is known for his unbiased and comprehensive tests of security and networking products. His clients include major organizations on six continents.

Network access control (NAC) is one of the hottest buzzwords of the year. It's based on a simple premise -- your access to the network is based on who you are and your end-point security posture. If you're thinking of deploying the technology to strengthen IT security, these tips will help ensure success.

1. Decide Which Part of NAC You Want

Perhaps you're trying to balance a more mobile workforce with a need to compartmentalize and segregate pieces of the network, restricting user access to the part of the network they need to do their jobs. In that case, the granular access control part of NAC might be your reason for investigation. Or your organization might be fighting viruses, Trojan horses and bots, making validation of end-point security posture a primary reason to add NAC.