Business networks were designed to be accessed that's how business
gets done.
But network access means potential exposure to risk. Protecting your
business customers from unauthorized network access, and from the
dangers of unauthorized data exchange flowing into or out of their
networks, is a vital service that can literally determine whether
a business will survive a malicious network attack or a lawsuit charging
lack of proper regulatory compliance.
Here's where a quality NAC solution makes the difference. NAC solutions
ensure that every endpoint connected to the network is protected and
compliant, and that it follows an organization's policies and authorization
requirements. This includes everything from making sure antivirus
software is installed and up-to-date to seeing that patch updates
are in place and the firewall has been configured properly. Once a
NAC solution is deployed, if it discovers that a remote user doesn't
have an antivirus program installed on his or her computer, it can
block that user's access to the network. NAC can also specify which
applications and network resources are off limits to particular users
or groups.
Balancing your NAC solution is paramount, explains Patrick Wheeler,
Symantec's principal product manager. NAC has gotten a bad rap because
it can create problems at the help desk. If NAC finds a problem, users
are denied access and are instructed to call the help desk, says Wheeler.
A customer will benefit from a product that runs remediation instead.
The NAC product should be able to turn a firewall back on or kick
off a patch update to fix the problem, which reduces dependency on
the help desk.
Finding the Right Solution
NAC products from leading vendors such as Symantec, McAfee and others
can help you build a balanced NAC solution that protects your customers
with just the right amount of security. So how can you help your customers
decide? Start by assessing their needs. What are they trying to do?
Have they had problems in the past with security breaches? Is compliance
an issue? How much can they afford to spend?
Bottom line: A NAC solution shouldn't become an impediment to productivity.
NAC should also be adaptable to a business's needs, says Dan Wolff,
McAfee's solutions marketing manager. You need technology that adapts
the solution to a customer's problem, he says. You don't want to have
to put strong restrictions across the network, for instance, when
you only care about restricting those coming in from the outside.
"You need technology that adapts the solution to a customer's
problem."
Dan Wolff, McAfee |
Your Ingram Micro Security Web Resource Center
To learn more about NAC and expand your knowledge about specific
vendor solutions, visit the Ingram Micro Security Web Resource Center.
Learn more about Ingram Micro's NAC offerings and find valuable resources,
such as white papers and case studies from manufacturer partners including
McAfee, Symantec, AVG, SonicWALL, Trend Micro, WatchGuard Technologies,
Cisco Systems, Enterasys, UPEK and RSA, The Security Division of EMC.
Not an Ingram Micro customer? Visit www.ingrammicro.com
or contact New Accounts at (800) 456-8000, ext. 41, between 8:30 a.m.
and 5:30 p.m., Eastern time. Or, contact Huy Nguyen at (714) 566-1000,
ext. 22443 or huy.nguyen@ingrammicro.com.
For More Information Visit Ingram Micro's Security Web Resource
Center www.ingrammicro.com/security.
