NAC on Demand

Clarifying issues surrounding this emerging security architecture

Mirage Networks is teaming up with Security on Demand to offer a NAC service. The companies say the service called NAC on Demand eliminates capital costs for NAC gear and lifts the burden of maintaining NAC infrastructure from businesses.

Security on Demand is selling NAC as two separate services, one called NAC on Demand Endpoint Security that scans endpoints for compliance and the other called NAC on Demand Network Protection that continues to monitor devices after they are admitted.

Mirage gear doesn’t require a client agent to scan endpoints for compliance with security policies, so there is no disruption caused by distributing agents. If the endpoint security service finds gear that violates policies, the provider helps customers fix whatever is wrong with an endpoint so it can gain access.

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Mirage Networks is teaming up with Security on Demand to offer a NAC service. The companies say the service called NAC on Demand eliminates capital costs for NAC gear and lifts the burden of maintaining NAC infrastructure from businesses.

Security on Demand is selling NAC as two separate services, one called NAC on Demand Endpoint Security that scans endpoints for compliance and the other called NAC on Demand Network Protection that continues to monitor devices after they are admitted.

Mirage gear doesn’t require a client agent to scan endpoints for compliance with security policies, so there is no disruption caused by distributing agents. If the endpoint security service finds gear that violates policies, the provider helps customers fix whatever is wrong with an endpoint so it can gain access.

With the network protection service, the provider looks for behavior outside normal traffic to discover users violating policies or the propagation of malware.

This type of service may be useful for businesses that want to outsource more than just their NAC protection. A business with enough staff resources to run its own LAN and WAN likely can fund and staff a NAC deployment.

But for businesses whose IT model calls for hiring outside help, this may be a good option. Rolling NAC services up along with WAN management or desktop support may make a lot of financial sense for a business that outsources.

This type of NAC support is available from many more integrators and security service providers, but perhaps not split out as a named, cookie-cutter service (Compare NAC products).

Read more about security in Network World's Security section.

Tim Greene is senior editor at Network World.