NAC Vendors On The Attack

Here's a closer look at companies that are giving Cisco Systems and Microsoft a run for their money by bringing network access control (NAC) products to market.

Check Point Software Technologies
NAC Solution: Total Access Protection platform weaves NAC functionality into Check Point's Integrity line of endpoint security products
Features: Continually scans for policy compliance, also handles self-enforcement of infringing devices and automatically remediates them.

Consentry Networks
NAC Solution: LANShield Switch and LANShield Controller
Features: Enables companies to deploy NAC on existing network infrastructure. Switch inspects packets at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second and includes Layer 7 visibility, user access and threat control, and policy-setting features. Also supports access control solutions from Cisco, Microsoft and Check Point.

Elemental Security
NAC Solution: Elemental Security Platform
Features: Provides NAC functionality along with policy and configuration management, and includes a security policy editor that can be configured to restrict access to the server to authorized endpoints and to deal with the threat of unmanaged devices.

Enterasys
NAC Solution: Sentinel, Trusted Access Gateway appliance and Access Manager software
Features: Part of Enterasys' Secure Networks portfolio, Sentinel prevents infected or unauthorized devices from gaining access to a company's network and works without deploying agents on clients, enabling it to screen both corporate and guest devices. Appliance monitors health of devices trying to get on the network, management software is used for configuring and monitoring the gateway.

Hewlett-Packard ProCurve
NAC Solution: ProCurve Access Control Security Solution
Features: Focuses on NAC at the LAN edge, using switches and software to handle NAC functions such as access, authentication and tracking. This approach speeds the decision making process and also blocks malicious traffic from the corporate network.

Infoblox
NAC Solution: Infoblox appliances, ID Aware DHCP Toolkit
Features: Uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to enable identity-based control over IP address assignment, which allows companies to deploy NAC on existing network infrastructure. Solution is based on various policies that can be set from the Infoblox appliances.

InfoExpress
NAC Solution: Dynamic NAC
Features: Simplifies deployment of NAC by using software installed on network PCs to ensure compliance with corporate security policies. Creates groups of 'enforcers' that scan the network, search for unauthorized endpoints, and immediately quarantine and remediate.

Insightix
NAC Solution: Insightix NAC
Features: Proprietary Dynamic Infrastructure Discovery (DID) technology ensures that only authorized devices can access the network and doesn't require deployment of software agents or specialized hardware. Enforces NAC policies on Layer 2 of the network to block unauthorized devices from connecting.