Network access control (NAC) software is defined as software that allows IT managers to create, enforce, manage, and update secure access policies across the enterprise perimeter, with a special focus on remote access systems like mobile devices, web-based apps, IoT endpoints, etc., that operate outside of the immediate corporate network. This article discusses the top 10 network access control software solutions in 2021.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Network Access Control Software?
- Key Must-Have Features in Network Access Control Software
- Top 10 Network Access Control Software Solutions in 2021
What Is a Network Access Control Software?
Network access control (NAC) software is defined as software that allows IT managers to create, enforce, manage, and update secure access policies across the enterprise perimeter, with a special focus on remote access systems like mobile devices, web-based apps, IoT endpoints, etc., that operate outside of the immediate corporate network.
Unlike network access control hardware, which resides in a physical security appliance, network access control software is deployed either on-premise (on your servers or a private cloud) or via public cloud resources for cost efficiency, scalability, and easy governance.
Several factors have made network access control software a must-have component in your infosec toolkit.
- The first is the rise of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – even before the pandemic, companies like Intel, SAP, and Blackstone were finding success with bring-your-own-device programs. Now, with so many employees working from home, BYOD is the inevitable way forward. Network access control software helps ensure that access through these devices remains secure, even if they operate on a home network or public Wi-Fi.
- Another factor making network access control software adoption critical is the rise of the internet of things (IoT), particularly in industrial environments. Verticals like supply chain management, logistics, manufacturing assembly lines, etc., are increasingly reliant on IoT endpoints that continually gather and relay data. Network access control ensures that these devices aren’t “hijacked” by illegitimate parties.
For these reasons, network access control software started gaining popularity in the last decade. The 2020 Endpoint and IoT Zero Trust Security Report by Pulse Secure and Cybersecurity Insiders found that 2 in 3 businesses have experienced a sharp uptick in endpoint and IoT security incidents in the past 12 months. Network access control software platforms prevent unpleasant surprises arising from insider threats, restrict unauthorized users from accessing sensitive assets, and allow you to expand your digital footprint with confidence.
As you reimagine your business growth journey in 2021, tapping into a favorable economic environment and resurgence of consumer demand, network access control software solutions are central to business continuity. But before we discuss the top solutions to consider in this segment, let us first understand the key features to look for in a network access control software.
Also Read: What Is Network Access Control? Definition, Key Components and Best Practices
Key Must-Have Features in Network Access Control Software
The essential features to look for when buying network access control software include the following:
Network Access Control Software Key Features
- Compatibility: The software should coexist and connect with your existing digital ecosystem, including hardware, productivity apps, security apps, and security infrastructure.
- Identity & access management (IAM) plug-in: It must be ready for integration with your preferred identity directory, fetching the correct credentials to allow or deny access.
- Guest access: It must support access by users outside your immediate corporate network, preferably allowing time-bound access and closely monitoring network utilization.
- Value-added services: Network access control software can also offer additional security capabilities (apart from access controls) to further fortify your network through malware prevention, a virtual private network (VPN), automation, etc.
- Governance: It should have a centralized dashboard for policy definition, access provisioning, and approval management, encompassing your entire on-premise device, remote endpoint, and edge landscape.
A note on pricing: Commercial network access control solutions are built based on the size of your deployment, i.e., the number of endpoints you want to cover, where they are situated (on-premise or remote), and their operational technology (OT) or IoT nature. Due to this, it is advisable that you reach out to the company for a custom quote and decide on implementation based on a limited deployment pilot.
Also Read: What Is Network Security? Definition, Types, and Best Practices
Top 10 Network Access Control Software Solutions in 2021
Several types of network access control software solutions are available today. These include dedicated platforms, full-suite cybersecurity solutions, open-source solutions like PacketFence and OpenNAC, and turnkey commercial solutions like those listed below. Your decision will depend on the size of your business, the nature of your digital footprint, and the number of devices operating in the perimeter. Let’s look at the key features, USPs, and differentiating factors for the top 10 network access software solutions in 2021, listed in alphabetical order.
Disclaimer: This list is based on publicly available information and includes vendor websites that sell to mid-to-large enterprises. Readers are advised to conduct their own final research to ensure the best fit for their unique organizational needs.
1. Aruba Secure Network Access Control
Overview: Aruba, now part of Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE), offers an end-to-end network access control product for IoT and remote endpoints. The company has several proprietary solutions like Aruba Central for unified management, ClearPass for BYOD network security policies, and others, making this a holistic software solution. One customer in the education sector reported saving over $1 million by leveraging Aruba to secure its high-speed wireless network.
Key features: The key features of Aruba Secure Network Access Control include:
- Agentless policy control and automated response
- AI-based insights, automated workflows, and continuous monitoring
- Role-based access enforcement across multi-vendor wireless, wired, and VPN networks
- Single sign-on (SSO) interoperability with Ping, Okta, etc., for Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0-based applications
- Secure guest access and self-service device onboarding
USP: A major USP of Aruba is its scalability. The software solution can support tens of thousands of devices, compatible with multiple identity authentication sources like Active Directory (AD), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), and Structured Query Language (SQL). The company also has a security exchange program where context is shared between different digital components for end-to-end visibility and enforcement.
Editorial comments: Aruba is excellent for large enterprises with a distributed presence as you can manage and orchestrate the entire setup from the centralized hub. Keep in mind that it comes in both hardware and software options, with the core platform hosted on a cloud environment such as VMware, Microsoft, or Amazon Web Services (AWS).
2. Barracuda CloudGen Firewall
Overview: While Barracuda’s offering is technically a firewall, the software goes well beyond typical next-generation firewall (NGFW) capabilities to provide network access control as well. The solution integrates with your major public cloud resources across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), while also providing coverage for IoT endpoints and remote hardware access points.
Key features: The key features of Barracuda include:
- User identity awareness for preferential bandwidth allocation, user-aware firewall rules, and application-level control
- Deep application context analysis to analyze application traffic and discover the actual intention
- Granular application control, secure remote access, and CudaLaunch for mobile workers
- Authoritative domain name system (DNS) server for intelligent responses to DNS requests
- Centrally-managed network access control and local enforcement of access restrictions
USP: Barracuda offers a 360-degree answer to your enterprise security challenges, spanning malware protection, user authentication, intrusion detection and prevention, connectivity management, and of course, network access control. Further, it has powerful automation capabilities with a drag-and-drop workflow editor and automation application programming interfaces (APIs).
Editorial comments: Mid-sized to large enterprises looking for a complete security overhaul should consider Barracuda a potential cybersecurity partner. They can choose from its various deployment options on a virtual server, the public cloud (AWS or Azure or Google Cloud), or remotely managed entirely by Barracuda.
Also Read: What Is a Virtual Private Network? Definition, Components, Types, Functions, and Best Practices
3. Cisco Identity Services Engine
Overview: While Cisco is globally recognized as a premier cybersecurity provider, its Identity Services Engine is a specialized solution, purpose-built for network access control. It streamlines network security policy management across wired, wireless, and VPN connections, giving you visibility into all users and devices potentially accessing the corporate network.
Key features: The key features of Cisco Identity Services Engine include:
- Centralized management of profiler, posture, guest, authentication, and authorization services
- Rich contextual identity policies based on a rule-based, attribute-driven model
- Integration with identity repositories such as Microsoft AD, LDAP, Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS), and RSA one-time password (OTP)
- Software-defined network segmentation using security group tags (SGT)
- Streamlined device onboarding, device profiling, and device-profiler feed service
USP: Cisco Identity Services Engine addresses each requirement you could look for in a network access control solution. This includes device security and advanced user authentication and integration with a wide range of identity directories. Additionally, you can also avail Cisco’s proprietary TrustSec segmentation technology.
Editorial comments: Companies looking for a point solution for network access control should consider Cisco Identity Services, available in three tiers – Essentials, Advantage, and Premier. You can add on further licenses for centralized device administration. Cisco has an evaluation version that gives you all the three licenses for 100 endpoints for 90 days to make an informed decision.
4. Citrix Gateway
Overview: Citrix Gateway is a remote access infrastructure solution that lets you provide secure SSO access for all applications, regardless of where they are hosted – data center-based, in the cloud, or via SaaS delivery. Users can confidently log into any app from any device using a simple, secure uniform resource locator (URL). Typically, Citrix Gateway is deployed in your network’s demilitarized zone, but you can also opt for multiple virtual appliances for more complex requirements.
Key features: The key features of Citrix Gateway include:
- Compatibility with Citrix products such as Citrix software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN), StoreFront, Workspace, and XenMobile
- Support for all major authentication types such as LDAP, RADIUS, SAML, etc., as well as local authentication
- nFactor authentication for dynamic login forms and on-failure actions
- Group-based user access policies and authentication profiles
- Priority-based authentication, which is validated against multiple layers of policies
USP: Citrix Gateway boasts of highly sophisticated authentication procedures, exceeding several of its industry competitors. For example, its cascading authentication feature lets you create a sequence of multiple authentication servers to validate a user’s credentials. You can configure SSO for an entire operating system like Windows or for specific web apps or a particular corporate domain.
Editorial comments: Citrix Gateway is ideal for mature IT teams looking for granular control and capabilities to support a highly complex digital enterprise. It doesn’t offer too many value-adding capabilities apart from network access control, but its authentication and authorization features make it well worth the investment.
Also Read: What Is Data Loss Prevention (DLP)? Definition, Policy Framework, and Best Practices
5. Forescout
Overview: As mentioned earlier, Forescout has been a recognized network access control leader for several years. Its product, CounterACT, is designed to protect remote devices (i.e., remote workstations and IoT endpoints) through a unified security platform. Its primary use case is for IoT deployments, although it provides equal support for workstations and other traditional access points.
Key features: The key features of Forescout include:
- Device landscape mapping, risk assessment, and real-time asset inventory
- Policy enforcement across heterogeneous networks
- Automation capabilities through plug-and-play integration modules and customizable APIs
- Least-privileged access based on device and user identity
- An intelligent dashboard with real-time, role-based insights
USP: Forescout has many unique differentiators. It integrates with popular IT systems like ServiceNow configuration management database (CMDB), Palo Alto Networks or Check Point NGFWs, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems like Splunk, QRadar, and ArcSight to create an end-to-end orchestrated network access control solution. It has a flexible licensing model, depending on your existing hardware and software footprint as well as service requirements. Finally, it can support up to 2 million devices in a single deployment.
Editorial comments: Forescout is ideal for any company looking to invest in, grow and secure its industrial IoT (IIoT) footprint. It is equipped with the collective intelligence of deployments carried out across three million+ enterprise devices, enabling access security for even those device variants that seem unfamiliar.
6. FortiNAC
Overview: FortiNAC is available in both hardware appliance and virtual machine-installable versions. It offers visibility, control, and automated response for any access incident occurring at your network perimeter, whether by a third-party device or an IoT endpoint. FortiNAC’s architecture enables it to be deployed centrally, without sitting in the line of user traffic.
Key features: The key features of FortiNAC include:
- Network scanning to discover every user, app, and device, followed by profiling via 20 different techniques
- Network segmentation for dynamic role-based access control
- Automated response to contain the endpoint in real-time in case of a threat or suspected attack
- A wide range of integrations with network infrastructure providers, security infrastructure providers, directory services, operating systems, security apps, and mobile device management suites
- Optional reporting module for customizable reports
USP: FortiNAC’s major USP is its automation and integration capabilities. Nearly every major vendor you could think of – from Apple to Cisco, from Linux to Symantec, and from Google Workspace to Check Point – are Fortinet partners. This allows users to create a connected security thread across their enterprise with automations at key points of the workforce.
Editorial comments: FortiNAC is best suited for companies with a distributed presence, as it resides outside of the line of traffic. In addition to the core application and control module, you can deploy optional management and reporting features (through FortiAnalyzer) for value addition. To achieve this, you can choose from one of its three available licenses – Base, Plus, and Pro.
Also Read: Operational Cost, Security-Related Risk: Quantifying the Value of Network Security Policy Management
7. McAfee® Unified Secure Access
Overview: In the world of cybersecurity, McAfee needs no introduction. It is globally known for its consumer offerings, but it also offers compelling products for the enterprise segment, including network access control. McAfee Unified Secure Access combines endpoint security and network security with user access control and policy auditing. To achieve this, it uses a network access control hardware deployment along with the McAfee network access control software and network security platform, closing all possible loopholes in your security posture.
Key features: The key features of McAfee Unified Secure Access include:
- Policy definition through an integrated, centralized McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator
- Integrates with Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP) to control access on Windows endpoints
- Detection and control of managed and unmanaged systems using a client agent (pre-installed or dissolvable), rogue system detection, and Microsoft NAP framework
- Post-admission control by analyzing application protocols, source and destination addresses, ports, changing host posture, and malicious behavior detected by the intrusion prevention system (IPS)
- Host vulnerability detection by checking if a host is attempting frequent network access
USP: McAfee Network Access is easy to implement for small, mid-sized, and large businesses alike. You could use the standalone McAfee network access control software, or you could couple it with the network access control appliance and an advanced network security platform for a unified secure access solution. Existing McAfee users will find it easy to upgrade to this network access control solution.
Editorial comments: McAfee network access control supports all major computing endpoints like Windows, macOS, and Linux, although IIoT isn’t a targeted use case. This is best suited for remote employees and companies with distributed teams looking to bring work-from-home (WFH) BYOD under the purview of corporate network security.
8. SafeConnect
Overview: SafeConnect is a network access control solution from Impulse, which OPSWAT acquired in 2019. Impulse is recognized as a network access control and zero-trust specialist, which fits into OPSWAT’s philosophy of “trust no file, trust no device” very well. SafeConnect network access control works alongside Impulse’s software-defined perimeter (SDP) capability to enable zero-trust visibility, security, and control outside and inside your corporate environment.
Key features: The key features of SafeConnect include:
- Cloud-hosted, wizard-based administration, ideal for small IT teams
- Vendor independent deployment, compatible with a broad range of network infrastructure manufacturers (both IT and IoT)
- Managed support from the company for device onboarding and identification policy design
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and mobile devices
- SAML authentication and support for 10,000+ devices
USP: The fact that zero-trust policies determine every access decision is SafeConnect’s biggest USP. It enables agentless device identification, which means you can profile a device immediately when it connects to your network and tries to gain access without having to install an agent. You can import network security policies in bulk, and guest self-registration helps provide temporary network access without compromising security.
Editorial comments: SafeConnect is easy to deploy. It supports a modestly high number of devices in a single deployment, ensuring that every system is checked before granting network access and then checked regularly. In other words, it is best suited for mid-sized organizations with a workstation and IoT mix.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Virtual Private Network (VPN) Software Platforms in 2021
9. SAP Access Control
Overview: SAP Access Control automates network access control and governance for seamless user access. The solution pays special attention to the user experience, ensuring that workflows aren’t interrupted and access requests and approvals are processed automatically.
Key features: The key features of SAP Access Control include:
- Risk analysis to identify and remediate critical access violations
- Role-based access control rules that are comprehensible by business users
- Emergency access through “firefighter” login IDs, which grant temporary superuser status
- Automated access assignments in both SAP and non-SAP systems
- Role certification and notifications in case of conflicting or sensitive actions
USP: SAP Access Control perfectly balances the user experience with organizational security. Access requests are automated and fulfilled via self-service, following a workflow-driven process, while embedded risk analysis ensures that an approval does not violate active policies. You can automate periodic user access reviews and also review access constraints automatically.
Editorial comments: For companies with existing SAP dependency – whether in HR through SuccessFactors, enterprise resource planning (ERP) through HANA, or identity access management – this is the perfect network access control solution. It protects data access and exchange on all these platforms while also being compatible with non-SAP systems. SAP Access Control can be deployed as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform on the cloud or as a perpetual licensed product on-premise.
10. Sophos NAC
Overview: Sophos, one of the leading infosec providers globally, has an advanced network access control offering. Unlike some of the other network access control solutions on this list (like FortiNAC, for example), Sophos NAC fits within your existing network infrastructure as a software overlay and does not require a separate appliance. It offers a centralized policy enforcement module, a web interface for managing endpoint security, and assessment options to review devices or users regularly.
Key features: The key features of Sophos NAC include:
- Agent-based policy enforcement for placing devices in self-quarantine
- Web interface for policy-building, enforcement control, reporting, and alerts
- Audit capabilities to enable IT administrators to monitor and manage endpoint compliance
- Web and installed agents for comprehensive compliance assessment, both before and after preliminary network access
- Flexible deployment via a phased approach across reporting, remediation, and enforcement
USP: Sophos NAC has the advantage of not requiring a hosting appliance. It is compatible with most network equipment providers like Cisco, Alcatel, HPE, Lucent, Check Point, and Aruba. Finally, it brings pre-built configurations for 350+ security apps and 600+ OS patches to save your IT team time and manual efforts.
Editorial comments: Independent professionals, small businesses, and mid-sized organizations should consider Sophos NAC a viable option for their network access control needs. Importantly, the company offers 24x7x365 support for the entire duration of your licenses, including one-on-one assistance.
Also Read: Network Security Engineer: Job Role and Key Skills for 2021
Wrapping up
Network access control is a rapidly growing solution segment. According to research by Grand View Research, it is projected to grow at a remarkably high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.6% between 2015 and 2022, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion at the end of the forecast period. This gives you plenty of options to choose from. However, it’s important to consider the must-have features and your organization’s unique requirements before investing.
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