Today it is not only company computers that connect to corporate networks. Employees' phones, guest devices, printers, IP cameras, meeting room displays and IoT devices on the production floor all share the same network. If not managed properly, each of them can become an entry point for attackers.
What Is NAC?
NAC (Network Access Control) is a security solution that recognizes every user and device trying to join the network, checks its security posture and gives only those that meet the defined policies as much access as they need. In short, NAC is the security guard at your network's door: it checks who is coming, what they carry and where they should go.
How Does NAC Work?
When a device connects to the network, a NAC solution goes through these steps:
- 1.Authentication: the user or device is identified via 802.1X, a certificate or its MAC address.
- 2.Profiling: the device type and operating system are determined.
- 3.Posture check: updates, antivirus and disk encryption are verified.
- 4.Authorization: the device is placed in the network segment and rules that fit its role.
- 5.Continuous monitoring: if the device's state changes, its access is restricted automatically.
Which Problems Does NAC Solve?
- You see in real time which users and devices are on the network.
- Unauthorized or unknown devices are kept out of the internal network.
- Devices with missing updates are placed in a restricted segment until they are fixed.
- Guest and personal (BYOD) devices are separated from corporate systems.
- IoT devices that cannot run security software are recognized and reach only the systems they need.
- In KVKK, ISO 27001 and industry audits, "who is on our network?" is answered with records.
What to Watch For in a NAC Project
The success of a NAC project depends far more on implementation than on product choice. The most common mistake is to switch policies straight to blocking mode without knowing the network, which causes outages such as printers that stop working or meeting rooms that cannot connect. The right approach is to make every device visible in monitoring mode first, design policies around that real data and move to enforcement step by step.
Integrating NAC with existing systems such as Active Directory, certificate infrastructure, MDM, firewalls, EDR and SIEM multiplies its value. For example, a device on which EDR detects a threat can be quarantined automatically by NAC.
NAC with Novus BT
NAC is one of Novus BT's strongest fields. Our team consists of engineers who are highly skilled in NAC and have gained deep field experience. From discovery and inventory to policy design, deployment, fine-tuning and operations, the same specialist team runs the whole process end to end.
To see and take control of who connects to your network, you can schedule a free initial consultation with our experts.