What is the role of the Cisco NAC agent in implementing a secure networking infrastructure?

Summary

The Cisco Network Admission Control is a framework comprising Cisco networking infrastructure along with a variety of partner products to enforce network admission policies on NAC-enabled endpoint devices, guaranteeing software compliance before granting network access.

The Cisco NAC Framework consists of the following components:

• NAC-enabled security applications such as antivirus and host intrusion protection systems such as Cisco Security Agent
• Posture agents such as Cisco Trust Agent
• Network access devices such as routers, switches, and wireless access points
• Cisco Secure ACS, which is the Cisco Policy Server
• Optional third-party validation policy servers
• Optional management and reporting tools

NAC allows the appropriate level of network access only to compliant and trusted endpoint devices such as PCs, servers, and PDAs. NAC can also identify noncompliant endpoints, deny them access, and place them in a quarantined area or give them restricted access to computing resources.

NAC agentless hosts can be identified by exception lists, whitelisting, or audit servers and can be evaluated before granting network access.

NAC Framework operates across all network access methods including campus switching, wired and wireless, router WAN and LAN links, IPSec connections, remote access, and dial-up links.

In the phase of Covid19, when most of your workforce works from home or any location, NAC assures those end-users devices are up to data an don’t cause any vulnerability to your corporate network. Several vendors offer NAC solution, and we can help you to implement that solution if you don’t have it already in place.

Network Admission Control – internal protection from outdated hosts

NAC is a fantastic tool that makes sure all devices connecting to your network infrastructure are up to date. Imagine a scenario an employee goes on holiday, two weeks later, the same user goes back to work and connects their laptop into the network. Antivirus, OS updates, and Application updates will be out of date. NAC will make sure all updates are done before the user can take full advantage of the network. Up to date devices is less likely to be a victim of cyber-attack.

Network Admission Control (NAC) solutions allow you to authenticate wired, wireless, and VPN users and devices to the network; evaluate and remediate a device for policy compliance before permitting access to the system; differentiate access based on roles, and then audit and report on who is on the network.

Product Overview

The Cisco NAC Solution is a robust, easy-to-deploy admission control and compliance enforcement component of the Cisco TrustSec ® solution. With comprehensive security features, in-band or out-of-band deployment options, user authentication tools, and bandwidth and traffic filtering controls, the Cisco NAC Solution is a full offering for controlling and securing networks. You can implement security, access, and compliance policies through a central management point rather than configure policies throughout the network on individual devices.

Features and Benefits

The Cisco NAC Solution is an integral component of the Cisco TrustSec. The Cisco NAC Solution:

•  Prevents unauthorised network access to protect your information assets
•  Helps proactively mitigate network threats such as viruses, worms, and spyware
•  Addresses vulnerabilities on user machines through periodic evaluation and remediation
•  Brings you significant cost savings by automatically tracking, repairing, and updating client machines
•  Recognises and categorises users and their devices before malicious code can cause damage
•  Evaluates security policy compliance based on user type, device type, and operating system
•  Enforces security policies by blocking, isolating, and repairing noncompliant machines in a quarantine area without needing administrator attention
•  Applies posture assessment and remediation services to a variety of devices, operating systems, and device access methods including LAN, WLAN, WAN, and VPN
•  Enforces policies for all operating scenarios without requiring separate products or additional modules
•  Supports seamless single sign-on through an agent with automated remediation
•  Provides clientless web authentication for guest users

Authentication Integration with Single Sign-On

Cisco NAC works with existing authentication sources, natively integrating with Active Directory, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), RADIUS, Kerberos, S/Ident, and others. For the convenience of end-users, Cisco NAC supports single sign-on for VPN clients, wireless clients, and Windows Active Directory domains. Administrators can maintain multiple user profiles with different permission levels through the use of role-based access control.

Device Quarantine

Cisco NAC places noncompliant machines into quarantine, preventing the spread of infection while giving the devices access to remediation resources. Through DHCP, inline traffic filters, or a quarantine VLAN, quarantine is achieved.

Automatic Security Policy Updates

Automatic updates in Cisco’s standard software maintenance package provide predefined policies for common network access criteria. These include policies that check for critical operating system updates, virus definition updates for antivirus software, and anti-spyware definition updates. Application eases the management cost for network administrators, who can rely on Cisco NAC for updated continuously.

Centralised Management

The Cisco NAC web-based management console allows you to define a policy for the entire network, as well as the related remediation packages necessary for recovery. The management console manages the Cisco NAC Servers and network switches from a central interface.

Remediation and Repair

Quarantining allows remediation servers to provide operating system patches and updates, virus definition files, or endpoint security solutions to compromised or vulnerable devices. You enable automated remediation through the optional agent or specify your remediation instructions. And Cisco NAC delivers user-friendly features, such as monitoring mode and silent remediation, to minimise user impact.

Flexible Deployment Modes

Cisco NAC offers the right deployment model to fit your network. The Cisco NAC Solution can be deployed in an in-band or out-of-band configuration. It can be deployed as a Layer 2 bridge and as a Layer 3 router. You can deploy it adjacent to the client on the same subnet or multiple router hops away.

Please read the full article at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/nac-appliance-clean-access/product_data_sheet0900aecd802da1b5.html

Threat-Centric Network Access Control (NAC) with ISE 2.1

Video provided by Cisco Systems – introduces the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

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