Out of band Network Access Control (NAC)

DYNAMIC NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

Network access has changed exponentially over the past few years, and will continue to evolve rapidly. As a result, network administrators face new threats and new responsibilities.

A convergence of issues are making the network more powerful, but also more vulnerable.

Decentralization

Today, global business is conducted around the clock from an infinite number of locations. Employees, contractors, partners, customers and others access corporate networks from satellite offices, homes, hotels and coffee shops using laptops, desktops, PDAs, and other mobile devices.

In an increasingly mobile world, organizations are facing new threats. Viruses, worms, spyware and non-compliant software loaded onto devices gain access to the network and in turn, contaminate it. In enterprise environments, the threat comes from employees, partners, vendors and other “guests” connecting to the network from a host of locations. At academic institutions, students, faculty and staff move on and off the network, potentially introducing new threats.

The Wireless Revolution

New devices and access channels are changing the network landscape. Wireless technologies, in particular, have changed the way people use and access corporate networks. Administrators are challenged with enforcing consistent policies and procedures across an infinitely dispersed network.

For the network administrator who has secured hardwired access to the network, taming its wireless network counterpart to react and alarm in a similar, user-friendly manner can prove problematic. Ensuring that wired and wireless connections are governed by the same network management policies, while making the transition seamless to the user, is a key requirement for today’s distributed networks.

Regulation

While networks are becoming more dispersed, they are also increasingly affected by regulations meant to protect data and reduce threats. Documenting compliance with regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley, SAS 70, GLBA, HIPAA, FISMA, CALEA, the PCI Data Security Standard, and others is becoming as important as preventing network downtime and resolving issues.

Compliance has become a key IT security driver for many network professionals. As they seek to ensure that network policies and procedures conform to various regulatory requirements, administrators must ensure that they are covering all bases, including: establishing policies, providing authentication and access control, auditing the use of systems and data, and resolving security incidents rapidly and effectively.

Bradford addresses this dynamic landscape with comprehensive NAC solutions that leverage existing network infrastructure to drive identity management, endpoint compliance and policy enforcement throughout every network session.

In addition to managing these universal challenges, Bradford’s solutions also help to automate key, industry-specific requirements. To meet the business imperatives, regulatory requirements, and user profiles of different industry sectors, Bradford’s solutions provide the flexibility to meet individual market challenges for customers across a variety of vertical markets.

Industry	Requirements	Regulations	NAC Capabilities
Financial Services	Control access to sensitive data Guard against threats Monitor effectiveness of security policies	GLBA PCI Data Security Standard	User authentication Role-based authentication Endpoint compliance Alarms and alerts Audit log
Insurance	Control access to personal data Guard against network threats	HIPAA GLBA	User authentication Role-based access Endpoint compliance
Healthcare	Control access to electronic health information Balance remote users with need to protect data Guard against threats	HIPAA	User authentication Role-based access Location-based rules Endpoint compliance Alarms and alerts
Government	Ensure secure remote access to information Guard sensitive data Document security policies	HIPAA GLBA FISMA	User authentication Endpoint compliance Audit log
Education	Guard against viruses and spyware on students’ laptops Prevent illegal file sharing activities Manage network access by identity, location, time-of-day Manage bandwidth usage	CALEA	User authentication Endpoint compliance Role-based access Location-based rules Alarms/alerts Policy enforcement
Publicly traded companies	Manage access to sensitive data Minimize network threats Document security policies and their effectiveness	Sarbanes Oxley SAS 70	User authentication Role-based access Location-based rules Endpoint compliance Alarms/alerts Audit log