NAC Network Access Control

Network Access Control (NAC) bridges several different security techniques to provide a unified approach to network access, be it wired or wireless. Endpoints, such as corporate laptops and mobiles, are often deployed with anti-virus software and users undergo an authentication process to access critical resources.

NAC combines these technologies and as a device connects to the network it is able to combine user authentication with device verification. In this way, NAC can be used to limit network resources to authorised users, and to ensure that devices that do connect to the network meet certain requirements - such as having the latest anti-virus software, no known vulnerabilities and are corporate-owned rather than personal devices.

NAC requires the use of wired and wireless devices that support protocols such as 802.1x to enable encryption and authentication. This includes both the switching and wireless LAN equipment as well as end-user devices.

The policy is then defined centrally and means that a user is able to obtain the same level of access regardless of where they connect to the network.