Network access control has evolved significantly (white paper)

Campbell, CA (Gawkwire.com) A new whitepaper published by market research firm Infonetics Research (http://twitter.com/infonetics) makes the case that network access control (NAC) technology has evolved significantly since it first emerged and is now capable of far more, such as protecting networks from inside attacks and unmanaged devices.

The 6-page white paper, The Evolution of Network Access Control, which can be downloaded free from Infonetics' website (http://www.infonetics.com/whitepapers.asp), provides a brief history of NAC, examines the drivers for advanced NAC technology, and explains what information and control can be obtained from new state-of the-art NAC solutions for users, devices, software, and peripherals.

"Network access control has changed a lot in the last 6 years, and many companies are missing out on what NAC can do for them because they're thinking of 2003 NAC instead of 2009 NAC. Today's NAC solutions gather more data, provide more information, and fit more use cases. Advances in the intelligence of NAC solutions have transformed NAC from a simple tool for preventing the spread of malware to a rich source of knowledge and a powerful security policy enforcement engine," explains Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for security at Infonetics Research and author of the white paper.

The Evolution of NAC paper identifies a wide range of security problems that can be addressed by next generation NAC solutions, including, but not limited to:
  -  Providing guest network access
  -  Controlling where employees and contractors can go on the network
  -  Enforcing security policy (antivirus, patch levels, applications, process, and registry files)
  -  Generating endpoint compliance audit reports
  -  Remediating systems that are non-compliant
  -  Managing removable storage
  -  Providing visibility into who and what is on your network
  -  Preventing malicious activity

The top 4 drivers cited by businesses for investing in NAC:
  -  Stopping threats from propagating
  -  Increasing overall corporate security posture
  -  Protecting against loss of sensitive/personal information
  -  Controlling network access based on user identity and role

Download the free white paper at http://www.infonetics.com/whitepapers.asp.