How to Prep for NAC

One NAC component is the endpoint, which requests network access and needs its system health checked. This could be a NAP client running Windows Vista or another kind of TNC client.

A second NAC component is the policy decision point, a system that evaluates the endpoint and decides what kind of access it should get to the network. This can be a NAP server such as a Microsoft Network Policy Server or another kind of TNC server.

Finally, a NAC system needs a policy enforcement point that can deny or limit network access based on policies fed to it from the policy decision point. This could be a switch, router, VPN gateway or other network element with enforcement capabilities.

To prepare for a NAC, three steps are critical. First, identify what resources you want to protect.

Inventory the endpoints connected to your network and, optionally, the authorized users.

Finally, decide on policies for what constitutes a healthy endpoint on your network and what network access you want to grant based on user identity and endpoint health.

You may want to take an incremental approach to deployment, starting with certain especially risky or especially sensitive parts of your network.

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