How to choose the best network access control solution (1)

Network Access Control Based on hardware, software network access control based on proxy, software network access control without proxy, or dynamic network access control can all improve network security. To select the right solution, IT managers need to consider their network access control deployment goals, including the ideal security level and management level. The Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and co-founder of InfoExpress, a network access control vendor, Stacey Lum, introduced what knowledge IT managers need to know to determine the optimal network access control options suitable for their environments.

There is no dispute that network access control can improve security. Network Access Control can quickly identify users from systems that should not receive access approval, and ensure that the firewall settings, anti-virus software, and patch levels are kept up to date. When used correctly, network access control can create a communication stream without virus infection and there are no other risks associated with security breakthroughs.

Very attractive, right? Yes. However, there is no good thing in the sky. Many network access control solutions are too expensive to be deployed and managed. In this article, we will show you what knowledge you need to know to determine the optimal network access control options for your environment. However, before we discuss this issue, we need to take a look at four main types of network access control: hardware-based network access control and Agent-based software network access control; no proxy software network access control; dynamic network access control.

No matter which network access control solution you choose, you need to consider your network access control objectives, such as security and management level and other factors based on your enterprise and network size.

Network Access Control and geographically dispersed Networks

A large network has many deployment, management, and Operation considerations. For example, a hardware-based in-line network access control solution located at the upstream of A vswitch generates a single potential fault point. If these solutions cannot keep up with the current high-speed 10G network trunk line speed, these solutions are destructive.

Moreover, the in-line network access control solution may not be ideal for geographically dispersed or highly segmented networks. This solution requires a device in every place, and the network communication visibility provided by these methods is also very poor.

When you cannot see or prevent the communication of intruders on a large Subnet, it is meaningless to use network access control for greater security. Out-of-band substitution methods, such as 802.1x selection, often need to change many network and server settings. They need additional isolation network and port settings for each vswitch, as well as access rules for vrouters and vswitches. This not only increases management costs, but also increases the risk of errors. Hardware-based network access control is obviously not cheap, or is not a panacea.

However, hardware-based network access control provides high-level security because it focuses on network communication and can detect security vulnerabilities on the road.

The software-based approach is adopted in geographically dispersed networks, and the management challenges still exist. However, these challenges are transferred to the endpoints, and a software agent needs to be installed at each endpoint. Although the network access control method without proxy can reduce the management burden, the network access control without proxy cannot provide a consistent method to fully evaluate the status of this endpoint. This means that manageability is exchanged with important security functions.

Because dynamic network access control can only use some systems as security enforcement executors, dynamic network access control can actually help you use the power of distributed networks to protect yourself.

Ensure the security of SMEs

SMEs have almost no dedicated IT staff or experts to configure complex and out-of-band methods, such as 802.1x network configuration and correct troubleshooting when a problem occurs. In addition, due to resource limitations, SMEs often focus their IT teams on developing business IT plans.

This is exactly what software-based network access control should do: while improving security, it can also reduce the management burden of security and network teams. In fact, for small and medium-sized enterprises, there are many things to say about Defense Agency. For example, you can enhance security by enabling a higher level of review at the endpoint. The reality is that the proxy can be an existing solution that causes the least interruption, especially when the application is used for network communication, because the proxy runs quietly in the background, only regular updates are sent to the policy server. Therefore, if you are a small and medium-sized enterprise with limited IT resources, this tip is to find the most easily managed, cost-saving, software-based network access control solution, or the available dynamic network access control solution.