Who Uses Network Access Control (NAC) Software?
IT administrators: Network access or security policies are typically set by IT administrators, which helps limit network access and the availability of network resources to end users.
Software Related to Network Access Control (NAC) Software
Related solutions that can be used together with network access control software include:
Virtual private network (VPN) software: VPN software enables organizations to offer their employees secure and remote access to the internal (private) network. It often contains firewalls to prevent cyber threats and ensure that only authorized devices can access the private networks.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) software: MFA software protects end-users and prevents internal data theft by mandating them to prove their identity in two or more ways before granting them access to applications, systems, or sensitive information. IT administrators can choose MFA as a method by which NAC software authenticates users.
Network monitoring software: As the name suggests, network monitoring software monitors and tracks the performance of a computer network. It detects problems by comparing live network performance against a predetermined performance baseline. It also alerts IT administrators if the network performance varies from the baseline or if it crashes.
Antivirus software: Antivirus, or endpoint antivirus software, detects the presence of malicious software applications within an endpoint device. These tools typically include features to assess a device’s health and alert IT administrators of any infection. Antivirus software has removal features and may also include some form of firewall along with malware detection features.
Firewall software: Firewalls assess and filter user access to secure networks from attackers and hackers. It’s present as both hardware and software and creates barriers between networks and the internet.
Incident response software: Incident response software automates the remediation of security breaches. It monitors IT systems for anomalies and alerts administrators of abnormal activity or malware. The tool may also allow teams to develop workflows and optimize response times to minimize the impact of security breaches.
Cloud access security broker (CASB) software: CASB software secures the connections between users and cloud-based software. It acts as a gateway through which organizations can enforce security requirements beyond on-premises software while simultaneously monitoring user behavior and action.
Mobile device management (MDM) software: MDM software enables businesses to optimize the security and functionality of their mobile devices while simultaneously protecting the corporate network. It offers remote configuration, wiping, locking, and encryption of devices.
Challenges with Network Access Control (NAC) Software
Software solutions can come with their own set of challenges. The following are some of the challenges associated with NAC software products.
Low visibility into unmanaged devices: NAC tools are effective only in managing security risks for known devices that are tied to human users. Using NAC software, it’s challenging to manage an unknown device, like a sensor or IoT device that has no specific user (or a group of users) associated with it.
Inability to monitor for threats post access: Since NAC tools are primed to control network access, they’re effective only for protection against external threats. They’re incapable of detecting (insider) threats from already authenticated devices.
Inability to control wired networks: NAC management tools may use protocols like Wi-Fi protected access (WPA) to secure access to wireless networks. However, wired networks usually don’t have such protocols for protection. Any device that’s physically plugged in gets full connectivity. Organizations may assume that the security risks associated with wired networks are low because an individual would need physical access to the network infrastructure to plug in devices. Unfortunately, there could be several internal malicious actors that may cause harm to the organization.
How to Buy Network Access Control (NAC) Software
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Network Access Control (NAC) Software
As the first step toward purchasing a network access control solution, buyers should perform an internal assessment to determine the company’s requirements. This initial stage of the software purchasing process is called requirements gathering and can make or break the software purchase decision.
Requirements gathering helps to list the most crucial functionality of the software. At the same time, it’s a valuable exercise to determine the nice-to-have features and features that may be prevalent in the software market but not very useful to the organization.
To state the obvious, buyers should consider the organization’s budget and try to stick to the same. Buyers can also look at the product’s pricing page to understand available purchase options. Most software products will follow a monthly subscription model.
Buyers should also consider several factors before purchasing the software. This includes understanding the maturity of the business’s current security strategy, which can significantly affect the type of NAC software bought and utilized. Here, the type of software refers to the kind of features and the level of security it offers.
Compare Network Access Control (NAC) Software Products
Create a long list
After performing the requirements gathering process, buyers should create a long list of potential NAC software products. This list can contain any product that meets the basic criteria.
Instead of finding the right product right away, buyers should aim to consider multiple products and eliminate those that don’t offer critical functionality. For instance, if a NAC product can effectively block unauthorized devices, it’s sensible to add it to this list, irrespective of its other features. It’s also logical to check the “complete” cost of the NAC software and remove products that go beyond the budget.
Buyers can visit G2’s Network Access Control Software category, read reviews about NAC products, and determine which products fit their businesses’ specific needs. They can then create a long list of software products based on these findings.
Create a short list
The easiest way to create a short list is by removing products from the long list that don’t have the essential features. It’s logical to remove products that don’t have nice-to-have features.
The software should be able to scale up to support more users and protect more network resources without needing to invest in new hardware or burdening the IT department. If a software product lacks such capabilities, it’s better to remove it from the list.
Similarly, the software should have the ability to be deployed alongside the company’s existing security solutions. At the same time, it should be deployed without requiring changes to the existing infrastructure.
Some software products let users set network-level access policies, whereas, for some others, it’s resource-level access policies or both. Likewise, some products have agent implementation, whereas some have agentless implementation. Buyers can further refine the list by considering their requirements around such policies.
The level of support offered by the NAC software vendors can also be used as a parameter for eliminating products. Buyers can also check whether the software has network analytics and necessary integration features.
Buyers can further shorten the list by looking at the granularity of policy enforcement. They can check how easy it is to establish and enforce policies and also check whether the tool will fulfill the company’s compliance needs.
Ideally, the short list should contain five to seven products.
Conduct demos
Product demos are useful to understand a product’s usability and functionality. By requesting demos from software vendors, buyers can effectively compare the products in the short list and make a better purchase decision. Buyers should ensure they use the same use cases across all products.
Selection of Network Access Control (NAC) Software
Choose a selection team
To make the best software purchase decision, buyers should select a team responsible for implementing and managing the software. In most cases, such a team will include IT administrators and managers, security team professionals, and key decision makers from the financial team.
Negotiation
Typically, a software product’s pricing isn’t fixed. Having an open conversation with the vendor may help buyers gain substantial discounts. Buyers can also request to remove certain features and lower the price. Opting for an annual subscription may also convince the vendor to offer discounts or extra seats.
Vendors usually try to convince buyers to purchase extra licenses or features, but organizations may never use them. Therefore, buyers should always try to start small in terms of functionality and licensing.
Final decision
To make the final software purchase decision, it’s advisable to implement the NAC software on a small scale and ask what the IT administrators and other users feel about it. Most software products offer free trials, and buyers can utilize this facility to review software.
If the software doesn’t fit the needs or doesn’t offer the expected level of satisfaction, buyers may have to go back to the short list and try out other products. If the software lives up to the expectations, buyers can proceed with the purchasing and contracting process.
