Management platform could make or break NAC deployment

Security: Network Access Control This newsletter is sponsored by Symantec Stay ahead of stealth security threats Reduce the propagation of malicious code, lower your risk profile, provide greater network availability and much more with Symantec Network Access Control. Network World's Security: Network Access Control Newsletter, 10/18/07 Management platform could make or break NAC deployment By Tim Greene Customers considering NAC should take a careful look at the management platform because it may make or break their deployment. The nature of NAC has a variety of network staff interested and invested in the technology and they will all need a unique view. Concerned parties include the networking group, the security group and the desktop group. The networking group will need to evaluate the impact of NAC on the infrastructure and to set and manage necessary configurations such as VLANs if they are part of NAC enforcement. Tools to make this simpler are important to them. Webcast: Get the latest on NAC Learn the latest on Network Access Control in Network World's Perspectives Editorial Webcast. Discover how IT professionals can leverage this hot security technology in their networks, while also learning about key management areas that have not yet been perfected. To learn more click here. The security group needs to have an interface that can set policies that correlate endpoint assessment factors with the access policy rules. If such an interface stands separate from the desktop assessment interface so much the better. This can help avoid having misconfigurations die due to accidental missteps that can occur when different groups manage from the same view. The desktop group will need to manage and configure NAC agents and figure out how to integrate them with other desktop monitoring software. Their primary role will be to make sure individual machines can gather and present as complete an evaluation of their posture as possible. This is an aspect of NAC management that the other interested parties need not deal with. It is important to get all these groups together on the product evaluation because it’s important to have input about these factors before a purchase is made. They can also give the best of NAC’s impact on the existing network gear and any upgrades that NAC might require. * The Network World IT Buyer's Guides provide comprehensive, detailed information on how to select, test, buy and deploy thousands of network and IT products. The new Network World IT Buyer's Guides offer even more features than before, here's just one that's worth checking out: Network Access Control   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Tim Greene is a senior editor at Network World, covering network access control, virtual private networking gear, remote access, WAN acceleration and aspects of VoIP technology. You can reach him at tgreene@nww.com. This newsletter is sponsored by Symantec Stay ahead of stealth security threats Reduce the propagation of malicious code, lower your risk profile, provide greater network availability and much more with Symantec Network Access Control. ARCHIVE Archive of the Security: Network Access Control Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007